Locked by Destiny
by Elesrea
Summary: Zuko has been living with his uncle, and has a burn scar over his eye for as long as he can remember. One day, he meets Katara and ends up being chased down by the fire nation who are trying to capture her for an unknown reason. Throughout his journey, he learns the secret of his birth, his family, and just why Katara is being targeted by those around her. Zutara.
1. The Meeting

Chapter 1: The Meeting

* * *

"Hey, are you all right? Can you hear me?"

An echoing voice pierced his consciousness. He could hear someone calling out to him, and felt the occasional smack to the side of his face, telling him to wake up. He groaned as he forced his eyes to peel open and see where the voice was coming from. He turned his head to see the stranger next to him, when side of his neck erupted in pain, causing him to curse silently.

"You shouldn't move yet." A pair of cool hands came down on his shoulders and pressed him down onto the ground. "You really hurt yourself."

He grunted and looked to focus on the person's face—definitely a girl. Although her face was partially covered by a large hood, he could recognize the voice as female. She had electric blue eyes that stood out against her dark complexion. She was crouched next to him with a face of worry and question. He darted his eyes around again and saw that he was in the middle of a forest; large trees covered the landscape of his vision and he remembered what had happened.

He had fought with his uncle back at home and went running into the trail of the mountains where they lived, but he had lost his track in anger and ended up falling down a steep hill. He gave himself a mental slap in the face for his stupidity and temper.

"Can I look at your wounds? I promise I won't hurt you." He looked back at the girl next to him and gave her a curt nod. He was too exhausted and in pain to reject any aid.

She reached out with her arms and began to examine the large gash on his neck. He felt his blood still stream out from his broken flesh and thanked the spirits he didn't break his neck from the fall. Her cool hands felt undeniably refreshing against the heat of his skin, and felt her press a large white gauze against his neck and gently wrap it around his neck.

He pushed his sore body up with his elbows, thankful for the girl's help, and leaned back against the hill. "Thank you," he finally managed to choke out. His face was beaded with sweat and was breathing heavily. He felt like a complete moron—most of his manly pride crushed by his helplessness and stupidity.

The girl smiled in response. "I need to look at your ankle as well." He saw her reach over to his left foot and began to remove his boot and roll up his pants to his knee. She quickly began to examine his ankle, experimentally applying pressure in certain areas and turing his foot a certain degree. "This is a clean break, which is really good. I'm going to set it straight so it'll heal properly later. It's going to hurt." He wanted to protest but knew that she was right; he was simply paying the price for his actions. He gave her a quick nod and braced himself. She firmly gripped the sides of his foot and in a swift motion jerked his foot to align the bones again.

Unbelievable pain ran up his leg as he heard the sound of his body readjusting, his heart pounded against his chest in agony. His body began to tremble but he had refused to scream. Black spots danced around his vision and he slipped out of consciousness.

* * *

The next time he opened his eyes, the afternoon light had been replaced by darkness. Only the light from the moon lighted the ground and was giving a fluorescent glow that bounced off the trees. He realized he was lying on the ground on his back, his head resting against what seemed like a soft rock. He shifted his weight around and felt that his left foot was wrapped in something heavy and stiff. He began turning his head and paused. The rock pillow his head was on definitely did not feel like a rock anymore, he cautiously finishing turning over until the side of his face came in contact with something soft and cool.

His heart rate quickened and he felt the blood pooling in his cheeks when he realized what he was resting his face on. He slowly looked the other way and saw the girl from earlier, leaned back against a large tree trunk, head tilted to the side. Her hood covered most of her face, but he could only assume as he heard her silent breathing that she was sleeping.

He forced himself off her legs with difficulty, and sat up against the tree as well. He felt much better than before. Looking over to the girl next to him, and almost yelped in surprise. She was staring at him with an unreadable expression; her eyes looked like they were glowing in the moonlight.

"Did I scare you? Sorry," she smiled. She gave him an amused expression and said, "I can't really leave you here all alone, you know." She breathed in and rose gracefully from her sitting position, and extended her hand out to him, "I actually live close by and can finish treating you when we're there. You're not in any condition to walk by yourself anyways."

He looked up at her and figured that his pride as a man was practically gone now, and released a quiet sigh. He gratefully reached and grabbed her hand as she gently helped him stand up, forcing most of his weight on his good ankle. He cursed silently when he lost his balance, but was caught before he fell down face first. He was surprised at how strong she was, supporting at least half of his weight without struggle.

They began to start walking when the girl staggered against something on the ground, almost bringing him down with her. She whispered something and frowned at him. "Sorry, it's just really hard to see the ground when it's this dark."

He understood her well, the ground was poorly lit and their surroundings were being consumed by eternal darkness. His sense of direction was completely lost and he questioned how they would be able to leave the forest. He looked towards the girl's frowning expression and decided to take action. Although his uncle had mentioned to never reveal his power to strangers, he felt that it was a small repayment to the girl for her help.

"I can light the path for us," he whispered. The girl looked at him with a confused expression, but before she could say anything, he extended his right arm in front of them and concentrated. He felt his energy swirl in the palm of his hand and release a small flame. The girl's eyes widened for a second and looked back at him.

He smiled shyly, "I'm a firebender, but you can't tell anyone, yeah?"

The girl let out a small laugh and looked back towards him, "Got a name, firebender?"

"Zuko," he said with a small smile on his lips, "I would shake your hand, but I don't exactly want my rescuer to burn." The girl stopped walking and glanced around the area for a second. She raised her hand to a nearby tree and Zuko watched as the tree began to lose color. It began decaying away as its water was absorbed out and flew towards her hand creating an orb of water above her palm. Before he could speak, she turned slightly and grasped his burning hand with hers, creating a loud sizzling sound, evaporating her water, and dousing his fire.

"Nice to meet you Zuko." She smiled, "I'm Katara, a waterbender."


	2. First Impressions

Chapter 2: First Impressions

* * *

"Sokka, I'm back!" Katara banged against a wooden door with her foot a few times, unable to open the door with her arms occupied. Zuko was absolutely exhausted, her meaning of living 'close by' didn't make sense to him at all. They must have walked through the forest for at least an hour or two, and sustaining a flame in his weakened state for a prolonged period of time, had worn him out. His right ankle was sore from the constant weight of his body, as he was trying to keep his broken one free of pressure and pain.

He lifted his face to see a small house that looked like it had been abandoned for many years. The trees nearby had grown, intertwining its branches into the side of the house, perfectly blending in with the rest of the forest in the darkness. He learned quite a few things about Katara on their walk here. Since he was too tired and occupied to talk, she had filled in the awkward gaps of silence with things about herself. She was currently 17—he found himself surprisingly pleased that she was younger than him, not that he admitted to her— and she had a brother named Sokka who five years older than her. He had been her only family for as long as she can remember, and they lived like nomads, always moving from place to place. She and her brother were traveling through the forest yesterday morning when they decided to stay in the small house for a while. She had recalled that she was out hunting in the morning, but had found him instead.

* * *

_"I heard something crash and break through the trees, so I went over to where I thought some dead animal may have fallen through, and I found you." She laughed at the memory. "At first I thought you were dead, but I felt your pulse and thought it was a miracle that you didn't die on your way down."_

_He snorted and slightly rolled his eyes. "Please, I wouldn't die that easily." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Yeah, okay, I guess I was lucky," he said with a sigh of defeat. He figured his uncle was worrying about him, but soon cast the thought aside knowing that his uncle would be waiting back at their farm with some fresh tea. Zuko smiled at the picture, and put his energy into sustaining the fire at his palm and walking straight; while trying not to think about the strange girl next to him._

* * *

Zuko heard quick footsteps from inside the house, and watched as the door was abruptly swung open and saw a large man—who he assumed to be Sokka—emerge from the house. He held the same blue eyes and tan skin as Katara, dark brown hair that sat messily on top of his head, and beard stubble covering the lower half of his face.

"Katara! Where do you think—" he paused as he caught a glimpse of Zuko, who decided to keep his head down, not wanting to see the deep frown that creased Sokka's forehead. Worry, confusion, and anger seemed to radiate from his body. "Hurry up and come in," he grumbled, "You can explain to me once you're inside."

Zuko felt Katara shift under his weight and stepped into the house, as he limped and followed her lead. She set him down on the floor, his back leaning against a hard wall, and he heard Sokka shut the door and walk back into the room.

"Sokka could you get me my water canteen? He's injured and I promised I would finish healing him when we got back." Katara called to her brother, and turned to face him.

Zuko released a quiet sigh of relief as he sat down, his feet no longer under the weight of his body. He lifted his face to see Katara pull down her hood revealing her light brown hair, flowing into waves down her back and framing her face.

Sokka frowned at his sister. "Katara, why are you—"

"He knows I'm a bender," she said, cutting him off. Sokka's eyes widened at her statement and shot a glare back at Zuko. "But you know I can heal faster that way," Katara said and stepped in between Zuko and her brother with her hands in front of her. "Besides…He's a bender too! He bends fire."

In a split second, Zuko watched as Sokka roughly pushed Katara out of his way, making her crash into the other wall, and abruptly grabbed the collar of his shirt, forcefully pulling him up to meets Sokka's enraged face.

"Firebender," he growled through his teeth. "Who are you? And what do you want? Based on your answer I may just kill you right here, right now."

Zuko was utterly dazed, the wound on the side of his neck had ripped open again, and he could feel his blood slide down his neck. He looked up into Sokka's face and saw his eyes widen as their eyes met.

"Those eyes…" he stared intensely at Zuko's face, Blue meeting gold. "I haven't seen gold eyes like yours in twelve years… and I'll never forget it. You're definitely—"

"Sokka!" he heard Katara yell. "What are you doing?" She glared at her brother in confusion and anger. He blinked, as if he remembered that Katara was still there, and Zuko felt the grip on his collar loosen slightly. Sokka turned his face over to meet hers, he opened his mouth but no words came out. Zuko watched as he seemed to struggle with his words, and swiftly turned his head to look back at Zuko's face, and with a final glare, he let go of his shirt. Zuko fell back down on the hard floor and let out a groan in pain as he landed on his tail bone and lower back, biting back curses.

"Just heal him." Sokka said in a low voice, and Zuko watched him swing open the door and step outside.

There was a second of utter silence before Zuko let out another curse in pain; he reached up to his neck and felt hot liquid smear onto his hand.

"Zuko, I'm so sorry, I had no idea this would happen." Katara quickly stepped to his side and place her hands to his neck. "I've never seen him act like that before. I should have never told him you're a bender. He must have been really mad, jeez, I—" Zuko pulled his clean hand up to her mouth to stop her from speaking. He felt her pause in confusion and he looked at her face, more exhausted than before.

"It's fine. Just—heal this, please," he breathed out painfully.

She nodded quickly as he let his hand drop from her face, trying hard not to recall the feeling of her skin and lips against him palm. Katara reached for her canteen, popping off the lid in a fluid motion, she bended the water out to her palm. The water coated her right hand like a glove and began to glow a brilliant blue. Zuko had expected pain when she pressed her hand over his neck, but felt immediate relief and a cool sensation over his broken skin. He fought the urge to scratch his neck as he felt his skin and muscles mend together. He looked over at Katara in the corner of his eyes, thankful that she had her eyes closed in concentration. He felt his cheeks warm up, recalling that he never spent much time with girls. He had always lived with his uncle in these mountains, practicing his bending.

Katara slowly opened her eyes, taking another deep breath, and Zuko quickly darted his eyes back to staring at the plain wall. She removed her hands from his neck, bending the water back into the canteen and looked down at him with a slight frown on her face. "How does your neck feel?"

He pushed himself up and raised his hand up to his neck, feeling smooth skin; there was no trace of a deep gash that marred his neck just moments before. He cautiously rotated his head, stretching the muscles and pulling his shoulders back, but felt nothing.

"Amazing," he breathed out and looked at Katara. "Nothing feels out of place. Thank you." He grinned at her. She averted her gaze downwards to her hands as she started to fidget with her fingers.

"That's good," and sighed in relief. "But… I can't heal your broken ankle right away. You see, skin and muscles are easier to mend, but bones really have a mind of their own. They like to heal by themselves..." She looked at him apologetically.

Zuko let out a small laugh. "Katara, I'm more than grateful for you even helping me out in the first place. Not everyone has a heart like that you know."

Katara's face relaxed, "Well, even if I can't heal it completely in one night, I can do treatments for your ankle everyday so it'll definitely heal faster." Her eyebrows came together as if she was trying to remember something. "Bones are natural healers, it'll usually take about 40 days for a broken bone to heal completely, but I can get you up and running in about 10." She smiled while nodding her head in approval. "So until you're healed, you can stay with Sokka and I."

Zuko frowned as he remembered what happened a few minutes ago. "You know, I don't think your brother really likes me—he did after all, throw me up against the wall and threatened to kill me."

Katara sighed at his words and looked up towards the door where her brother had left. "I'll go talk to him right now," she said as she stood up and starting walking to the door. "Just make yourself comfortable and I'll make sure Sokka understands your situation."

He nodded in thanks and started to shift around, careful of his broken ankle and tried and find a comfortable spot. "Oh—and Zuko?" he heard her calling him and turned his face to the direction of her voice. She was standing outside the house and poked her head in so that he could only see her face, two sparkling blue eyes looking down at him.

"I think your eyes are rather pretty, so don't let him get to you."


	3. Road to Recovery

Chapter 3: Road to Recovery

* * *

Zuko thought things couldn't get more awkward during their late dinner until Katara asked him how he ended up in such a predicament in the first place. He was ashamed, he didn't want to admit that he fought with his one and only uncle over something stupid, ran away like a five year old kid, and injured himself. He looked up at Katara's curious face, remaining silent for a moment until he decided that she deserved to know the truth for taking care of him thus far.

"I got into a fight with my uncle and ran out of the house," Zuko muttered. He looked down at his soup, trying not to meet Katara's eyes. Sokka was sitting across from him, leaning against the other wall, while Katara sat in between the two men. "I was really angry… and I didn't realize where I was running until I fell down the hill."

"I'm sorry to hear," Katara remarked as she finished the rest of her soup. "What did you two fight about?"

Zuko fidgeted, and continued looking down at his bowl of soup, "Well, you know, just family problems."

Katara seemed satisfied with his answer. She had somehow convinced her brother to allow Zuko to stay with them until his leg was healed. He was still wary of Sokka's constant stare, and reminded himself that he needed to recuperate fast and pay back Katara soon for her kindness.

"Won't your uncle be worried and start looking for you?" Katara asked.

Zuko lightly smiled, "Nah. He knows I can take care of myself. As long as I don't take too long, he'll be waiting back home for my return."

"Sounds like a pretty cool uncle to me," said Katara.

"Yeah… " Zuko sighed. "I was stupid and immature to fight with him. I'll have to apologize when I go back."

Katara nodded in agreement and stood up with her empty bowl. She walked over to Sokka and he handed her his bowl, muttering a quiet 'thanks'. She came over to Zuko and stuck her hand out, "I'm going out to clean the bowls."

Zuko quickly tried to stand up, forgetting about his broken ankle. He paused when he felt sharp pain in his left leg and slowly ushered himself down. Katara smiled, amused at his efforts and kept her hand out.

"Don't worry about trying to help me," she bent down and took the bowl from him. "It's easy to wash them quickly with water bending, you know." Taking the three bowls, she pushed the door open with her shoulder and walked out into the dark forest. Zuko sat there, trying to calm his breathing, aware of Sokka's eyes set on his every move.

"How long have you been living with your uncle?"

Zuko shot his head up to Sokka's voice, surprised he was trying to start a conversation with him. His face remained emotionless, waiting for Zuko's answer.

"All my life," said Zuko. "We moved from place to place, but we've been living here in these mountains for the last couple of years."

Sokka continued to look at him, having no reaction from Zuko's reply.

"Age?" asked Sokka.

"Nineteen," Zuko replied smoothly. He then realized that the hill incident previously didn't exactly match up with the intelligence of people his age, and he grumbled silently.

Before the silence between the two men could hold out any longer, Katara walked back in, holding three perfectly cleaned bowls. She set them on the floor and stored them into a large leather bag one by one. Katara opened up another bag and pulled out blankets and frowned.

"I'm sorry we don't have an extra blanket for you, Zuko," said Katara. He expected that, it was a wonder why they were carrying an extra bowl for food, and since she told him that they move around a lot, an extra blanket they don't need would only burden them.

"That's really all right. Being a firebender raises my body temperature considerably higher than a normal person, so I won't get cold easily," said Zuko, smiling reassuringly to Katara.

"That makes a lot of sense, I was thinking you were running a crazy high fever when I helped carry you here," she let out a small laugh.

Zuko smiled back at her, trying not to feel like a burden anymore. He was satisfied with the advantages that came with being a firebender, as he lowered his back to the floor, turning to face the wall. The moonlight illuminated the inside of the house through the small rectangular windows at the top of each wall. He watched Katara and Sokka's shadows move around for a bit, and settle to the floor with a low thump. He concentrated on his breathing, slow and steady. Too exhausted to dream, Zuko felt his will eventually weaken as he drifted off into sleep.

* * *

Something was really hurting Zuko's right arm. He couldn't exactly feel it anymore and felt the need to stretch it out. He woke suddenly and realized two things; he had been sleeping in an uncomfortable position on top of his arm all night, it had been bent and stuck under the weight of his body for hours. He also realized that there was a blanket draped over his body, two of them. He grunted as he slowly sat up, bending and extending his elbow repeatedly to increase the blood flow. The sunlight had poured through the windows, lighting up the small room and filling it with life. Katara and Sokka were nowhere to be found, but their bags were still in the corner of the room, so he quickly dismissed the thought of being abandoned.

He removed the heavy blankets and folded them up as best as he could when he saw the cast over his left ankle. Two thick bands of wood were bounded together on the sides of his ankle by a cloth that was repeatedly wrapped around his leg. Zuko wondered how Katara managed to find the perfectly shaped slabs of wood, when he noticed the numbness from his leg yesterday was gone. He tried to move his ankle and found it impossible with the cast on, but it definitely felt a lot better than it did yesterday. Zuko pulled himself forward and slowly pushed himself off the ground, putting most of his weight on his right leg, and balanced himself by leaning against the wall. He cautiously limped towards the door, ready for any pain, but felt none. He pushed the block of wood open and admired the sight before him.

The forest gave off a clean smell of the morning, as he soaked in the sun's rays. Zuko concentrated on the sun's glare and estimated that it has been only a few hours after sunrise. He took a step out of the house, his hand still holding onto the door frame for support when he heard Katara's voice.

"You really shouldn't be walking around just yet," she called out. Zuko turned his head to see Katara and Sokka walk out from the trees dragging something behind them. She was dressed in similar attire like he remembered from yesterday, her large cloak covering most of her body. She had her hood lowered, revealing her long brown hair, waving down to the middle of her back. She had a quiver slung across her back, containing long, sharpened arrows and held a large silver bow in her left hand.

Sokka narrowed his eyes when he caught sight of Zuko, but didn't attempt to rush at him like the night before. He wore the same style of cloak over his body, and was dragging a large brown mass with a rope behind him.

"I'll clean," Sokka muttered to his sister. She nodded at him and continued to walk towards Zuko as Sokka walked towards the side of the house, pulling out a large hunting knife from his waist.

"How does your ankle feel?" asked Katara, raising an eyebrow at him. "I gave you a small healing treatment this morning before I left, but I'm surprised you can somewhat walk already."

"No wonder," he smiled at her. "I am once again amazed and in debt to your skills, Katara. My ankle feels unbelievably better than yesterday." Zuko shifted, and limped back inside the house with Katara following him in. She set her silver bow against the corner and began to remove the quiver.

"That's good to hear," she remarked. "I'm also amazed at your recovery speed so don't give me all the glory for this."

Zuko let out a light laugh and limped over to the wall and slid down, careful of his left ankle. He watched Katara finish adjusting herself and sat down in front of him.

"So where did you guys go?" Zuko inquired. He already guessed that they were out hunting, but he wanted to listen and talk to Katara, it felt like he hadn't seen her for a long time.

"We went out to hunt for food, and scan the area here," she replied, leaning back against the other wall. "Since I didn't exactly bring home food yesterday—" she looked and gestured towards Zuko with an amused face, "Sokka and I decided to double team it this morning so we could find resources as soon as possible."

Zuko wasn't very familiar with the terrain in this side of the mountain. The forest was enormous and he hadn't done much venturing outside of his house, much less be this far away from it.

"And what did you bring?" he asked curiously.

"A wild boar," she seemed to beam with pride. "We were lucky that it was wandering around during this time of the day. Sokka's outside cleaning it out and checking for anything that could be bad for us. It should last us about eight days before we'll need to hunt seriously again."

Zuko looked at her with amazement. She was cleaning of one her arrows with a cloth, wiping off the blood; he assumed that she was the one who caught the creature.

"We also found a river close by," she continued. Zuko raised an eyebrow at her 'close by' remark, remembering that the last time she said that, he couldn't believe in her sense of distance anymore. "Since you fell down, if we follow the water up, we should reach somewhere near the altitude you fell from."

He considered her observation to stand true. There was a small river that flowed near his house, and he always went there to wash up and feel clean again. All the small streams and rivers were connected somehow, so he murmured in approval at her idea.

Katara was watching Zuko, staring absently into his face. She wasn't making eye contact, but looking at something next to his left eye, so he immediately knew she was staring at his scar. He raised a hand up to his face and touched his scar.

"Are you curious as to what happened to scar my face like this?" asked Zuko.

She seemed to snap out of her trance and looked at him with wide eyes. "No no! Of course not… I'm sorry I didn't mean to stare like that. I was just…" she stammered.

Zuko gave her a small reassuring smile, "Don't worry about it. It's nothing crazy. I've had this scar for as long as I can remember. My uncle told me it was from an accident in the kitchen when I was very young. Fire exploded and I happened to be too close to the incident."

She listened to him, trying to mask her curiosity. "Well… I was just wondering if I would be able to heal it or not, and how I would heal the scarred skin." She looked at him apologetically and raised a weak hand, "Sorry. It's a bad habit of mine."

Zuko laughed. He knew she had a big heart for other people, but it had finally struck him that she thought her intentions were bad. He stopped laughing and cursed when his left ankle reacted in sharp pain to the sudden movement of his laugh.

Then suddenly, Katara burst out in a laugh—probably at his stupidity—covering her mouth with both hands, and tried to muffle her laughter.

Zuko blushed slightly and playfully glared at her, then smirked at her laughing face. He watched her laugh at him for the next moment and thought: _she is definitely beautiful, both inside and out._

* * *

A/N: I realize that you may be wondering why I made Sokka five years older instead of one year. It's not exactly super important, but it will make sense later on. You may also be wondering why Katara and Zuko don't have their infamous temper and sassy-ness. I wanted to tone it down a bit so that they are at least off to a good start and I don't have to spend five extra chapters in the beginning trying to get them to tolerate each other. BUT! There definitely will be some sass and fierceness in the later chapters.  
And if you happen to be a reader who was not wondering about either of these, please continue to read on, review, and stay classy.


	4. Unexplained Reasons

Chapter 4: Unexplained Reasons

* * *

Zuko wished he had a brother or a sister too. Then maybe he would be able to understand what was going on between the blue-eyed siblings. He was walking briskly through the trees with a very distressed Katara, wondering what the heck he was going to do.

For the past seven days, Zuko was living on a routine. He woke up every morning, had a healing session with Katara, watched as the siblings leave the house for their daily scan of the forest and adventure, while he sat alone in the house. He usually tried to rest, but his thoughts always ended up drifting to Katara, her bright blue eyes, her soft smile and laugh, and what she could be doing at the moment.

Zuko's bones healed at an alarming rate; to the point even Katara was surprised. He could walk without too much discomfort, but she told him that running and other strenuous activity was a definite no.

The next morning, he heard Katara and Sokka stir from their sleep and shuffle around the small room. He didn't want to get up just yet, so he kept his eyes closed and tried to drift off in sleep.

"Sokka," said Katara. "We're going to have to hunt again today; the food supply is running low."

"I figured," Sokka replied quietly. He paused for a second before continuing, "How's his leg doing?"

Zuko almost turned his head in surprise. Sokka had never mentioned him in a conversation; the only time they talked was when he asked Zuko a few questions on the first night. Katara seemed to be surprised at his question as well.

"He heals remarkably fast," said Katara. "A lot faster from when you broke your leg, remember?" Sokka seemed to recall and grumbled slightly at the thought. "It should be completely recovered after today's healing."

"Then why haven't you told him that?" pressed Sokka. Zuko felt the air tense, as Katara didn't give him an answer. "Katara, you know that he can't stay with us—"

"But, _why_?" Katara spun around, facing Sokka. "Why can't I ever make friends? Why are we always moving Sokka?"

Sokka breathed out but didn't say anything. Although the atmosphere was heavy, Zuko couldn't stop the warm feeling that was spreading throughout his chest from Katara's words. He knew that he shouldn't take it that way, but she had implied that he was a friend, and that she wanted him to stay longer. The thought made small smile creep across his face, and he was glad that he slept facing the wall.

"Get ready to head out, Katara," was Sokka's only reply.

"Sokka!" she hissed under her breath, thinking that Zuko was still asleep. He heard her sigh in frustration, but didn't say anymore. Sokka quickly pushed the door open, letting in the sunlight, and walked out of the house.

There was nothing but silence for a few moments until Zuko heard Katara's footsteps come towards him. He tried to breathe as naturally as possible, while his heart rate quickened at her approach. She reached over to his shoulder and started to shake him awake.

"Zuko," said Katara, still shaking him. "Wake up."

"Hmmmm?" Zuko mumbled. He tried to suppress the smile from earlier off his face, while trying to act natural. He slowly peaked open his eyes to see Katara's face above his, but noticed that her eyes were watering. He immediately woke up, and abruptly pushed himself up to Katara's surprise.

"Katara, what's wrong?" asked Zuko, eyes wide, and his voice filled with worry.

"Huh?" she managed to breathe out and looked at him with a smile. "Oh, it's nothing. I think something was, uh, caught in my eye." She pulled the end of her cloak up and started to rub her face, attempting to remove any sign of sadness.

Zuko felt like an incapable idiot. He wanted to reach out with his hands and wipe the tears from her eyes, or hold her in his arms and tell her everything was going to be okay. But he didn't. He simply sat there, watching Katara as she did her best to compose herself.

"Sorry…" she mumbled. "Actually, I only need to do one more session with your ankle, and it'll be completely healed. So you can go back to your uncle today." Katara smiled weakly, and lifted her face to meet his.

Zuko felt his stomach lurch at her words and simply gave her a nod. She moved over to her bags and pulled out her canteen, bending the water out over her hand.

"Thanks, Katara," Zuko whispered quietly; as he felt her gloved hand press over his ankle to heal him, for what he thought would be the last time.

* * *

"Katara!"

Sokka suddenly burst into the room as Katara was bending the water back into her canteen, and Zuko was experimentally twisting his ankle and applying pressure. Sokka looked frantic, his eyes wide as he set his eyes on Katara, and was breathing heavily.

Before Zuko or Katara could say anything, Sokka quickly stepped towards her, "We're getting out of here. _Now_."

"Sokka, what—" Katara began to ask.

"Forget about hunting," said Sokka and he looked towards Zuko. "You said you lived here in these mountains, yes?" Zuko nodded quickly, surprised at Sokka's sudden demand as much as Katara was.

"Katara," said Sokka turning to her again. "Follow him up the river and get to his house. Just take your bow and leave immediately. I'll pack up the rest here and follow you guys up soon."

"Sokka, what in the world are you talking about? What has gotten into you?" asked Katara in shock. "I can't just leave you here and go. If it was about before then, I'm sorr—"

"Please!" yelled Sokka, cutting his sister off. "Please…" he continued, sounding more desperate. "Please, just do as I say."

He walked over to the corner, picking up Katara's bow and quiver, and placed them into her arms. Sokka looked at her sadly, closed his eyes for a moment, and sighed.

"I'm sorry to put you through this, Katara." He pulled her into a tight hug, "But please just trust me and get going." Sokka released his sister who looked more shattered and shocked than Zuko had ever seen her. He finally turned to Zuko with a serious face and clasped down on his shoulder. "I'm counting on you to protect her." Said Sokka in a low voice. "No matter what."

Zuko nodded again, staring into Sokka's icy blue eyes that held no hint of a joke. Sokka leaned in next to Zuko's face and spoke so quietly that Zuko almost couldn't hear what he was saying. "This is to protect Katara. Drag her there if you have too."

With that he let go of Zuko's shoulder and looked directly into his eyes again, "Get going. Now!"

Zuko swiftly grabbed Katara's wrist and pulled her out of the house. She struggled against him, not wanting to leave Sokka behind.

"Wait! Zuko, please," said Katara. "I really can't leave Sokka behind!"

But Zuko didn't listen. He kept pulling Katara along into the forest and finally faced her when the small house was out of sight. "Katara, I'm honestly as confused and shocked about this as you are…" He continued walking but slowed down his pace, when she stopped struggling and so that Katara could adjust the quiver over her body. She didn't respond back, but continued to look at the ground as they walked through the trees.

"Has he ever done this before?" asked Zuko. He saw her shake her head 'no', but didn't look up to meet his face or speak to him. "Katara, this isn't your fault if that's what you're thinking…"

She finally raised her head to look at Zuko, and he knew that she was trying hard not cry. He felt his heart break as he watched her struggle with her emotions. Zuko slowly loosened his grip on her wrist and slid his hand down, gently taking her hand instead.

"Katara…" Zuko slowly began. He had no idea what to do or what to say, he wished he had a how-to-cheer-up-sad-girls book with him for situations like these. "You know… before we left, he told me to protect you no matter what." Her eyes widened at his statement, and he couldn't blame her. Zuko had thought Sokka didn't even trust him with Katara in the first place. He cleared his throat in the awkward silence and continued, "And he did say that he'd come follow us as soon as he finishes cleaning up. So… let's trust in Sokka's word and wait for him to come back, yeah?"

"Yeah…" said Katara quietly, and gave Zuko a small smile. "Thanks, Zuko. This never happened before and I guess I kind of freaked out… sorry."

"Don't apologize," said Zuko. "Let's just get to the river as soon as possible and work our way up from there. Sokka's a smart man, so he'll meet us up there for sure."

Katara released a small laugh and looked at Zuko with an amused face. "Well, then I guess we'd better start walking the other way." She said, pointing over her shoulder with her free hand.

Zuko felt himself blush as he realized that he had been walking in the wrong direction this whole time. He made a mental note to himself never to go walking when his emotions are awry, because his sense of direction seemed to fail him, twice. He grumbled again, when he heard Katara giggle at him.

"Oh, shut it," said Zuko playfully. Katara cleared her throat, settling her laugh, but still having a smile plastered onto her face. "I'll lead us to the river, and you can take over from there."

"Deal," said Zuko, smiling at her. He observed her smiling face and thought she was definitely more beautiful when she smiled, even if she was smiling at his dumb mistakes.

* * *

Zuko heard the roaring sound of river before he and Katara were able to see it. The water was crystal clear, flowing rapidly down the side of the mountain. He felt the cool air hit him as they got closer to the river, and he heard Katara sigh with satisfaction next to him.

"It always feels great being near your element, doesn't it?" asked Katara.

Zuko shrugged. Although he was a firebender, being near water wasn't revolting, nor was it a satisfying feeling of safety as it was for Katara.

"My uncle has always told me how different fire is from the rest of the elements," said Zuko. He crouched down in front of the flowing river and looked down at his reflection. "Fire doesn't flow in the direction you want it to go, like water does. It's like it has a destructive mind of it's own, dangerous and uncontrollable when used incorrectly… Fire is simply a very intense element."

Katara quietly nodded, listening to Zuko's words. He continued to look down at the running water, until it suddenly rippled and shot into his face. Alarmed, Zuko yelped in surprise and backed up, sputtering and wiping down his face with his hand. He heard Katara lightly laugh at his reaction and he turned to frown at her.

"What was that for, Katara?" Asked Zuko speechless.

"I… just felt that you needed to lighten up," said Katara with a smile plastered onto her face. She shrugged at her words and began to loosen her cloak. She swiftly untied the last rope at her neck, and pulled the large cloak off her shoulders. Since meeting her, Zuko finally saw Katara's figure and clothes that were always hidden under the large cloak. She was wearing a navy blue robe that cut short at her waist, the sleeves fitted around her arms and extended down to the middle of her forearm. Black pants were cut off mid-thigh to expose her long legs. She wore a thick white belt around her waist, and black bands were wrapped around her wrists, shins and above her knees. Katara started to kick off her boots as Zuko had stood there, looking dumbfounded.

"Well?" she asked. "What are you waiting for?" Katara ran into the river and inclined into a stance. She still smiled at him, when Zuko felt a sudden chill down his spine as Katara's face hardened seriously, her eyes flashing dangerously. Zuko felt a smirk ripple across his face when he realized that she was asking to fight. He too, kicked off his shoes and slowly stepped into the river, but still staying close to the bank. Zuko felt the sun's energy bore into his back as he concentrated on his breathing. He had no idea how capable Katara was at fighting, but he didn't want to injure her to find out. The water began to emit a hissing noise as it came into contact with his burning skin. He got into the most basic defensive stance and decided to wait for Katara to strike.

He shouldn't have waited. The moment he appeared ready, Katara swung her arms in a graceful pattern, causing the river water to erupt like a water show. It began to recede from the bank as Katara lifted the water higher and higher into the air until it almost completely surrounded the two of them. Zuko was utterly shocked; he had no idea she was capable of bending that much water so easily. He watched as she moved her hands together in a clasping motion, and the water started to rapidly crash towards him. Zuko reacted quickly, feeling fire erupt from his arms; he formed an orb of fire around him as the water came crashing down.

* * *

A/N: It took a while to update this chapter, my apologies. As I was writing this chapter, I wanted it to end at a certain point, but it was getting too long so I ended up splitting the content into two chapters.  
Nevertheless, please continue to read and review!


	5. Return

Chapter 5: Return

* * *

The next thing Zuko realized was that he was stuck. He couldn't move his arms or legs, and he couldn't feel them. He looked down at his body and saw that he was completely caged in ice. He thanked the gods that he was a fire bender, or else he was sure his blood would have frozen over. He began to look around for Katara and realized what a huge disaster they had caused. Steam was heavily casted around him, blocking his vision so he couldn't see anything 10 feet away from where he was. Zuko started to panic when he couldn't spot Katara.

"Katara!" yelled Zuko. "Are you okay? Where are you?" He cursed loudly when he tried to move but was still locked in the ice cage. Zuko growled in frustration. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. He felt his body heat up to a burning temperature and the ice melting away, the water sliding down his skin and evaporating. Suddenly, Zuko heard squishing noises and heavy breathing; he quickly opened his eyes and turned his head to the direction of the noise. Katara emerged from the mass of steam looking exhausted, her shoulders heaving up and down with every quick breath.

"Hi," she breathed out, and smiled at him. "How are you doing?" Katara let out a small laugh and she breathed out again, still looking at Zuko. Relief hit Zuko when he saw that Katara was safe. The ice had thinned out enough for him to shift his arm and punch through the remaining layers. Shards of ice flew out as Zuko finally freed himself from the ice cage, with a huff of triumph. He stepped down when his foot squished into what felt like mud. The mighty river that was once there was reduced to a stream of muddy mess; the surrounding terrain was now splattered and covered in wet dirt. He looked towards Katara again, just in time to see her slowly close her eyes and fall forward.

"Katara!" yelled Zuko, in shock and worry. He quickly stepped forward and caught her in his arms before she hit the muddy earth. Zuko started with wide eyes at Katara and wondered what he should do, until he heard her quiet breathing. He told himself to calm down and get Katara to somewhere safe. He swung his other arm under her legs and lifted her up to his chest. Zuko carefully stepped through the mud, watching where he placed his feet. He definitely didn't want to slip and drop an unconscious Katara into the mud.

Zuko continued walking step by step until he felt the firm ground under his feet. His heart beat wildly when he felt Katara squirm in his arms, slowly opening her eyes again. He laid her down against a tree and checked to make sure that she was awake.

"Katara?" asked Zuko. "Can you hear me? Are you all right?" He lightly shook her shoulder and watched Katara open her eyes again.

"How nostalgic…" she mumbled. Zuko sat in front of Katara, watching her with a bewildered expression.

"You're crazy," remarked Zuko, but relieved that she was responding to him. Katara lightly smiled at his comment and let out another deep breath.

"Sorry, Zuko," said Katara. "I had to let out some extra steam." Zuko nodded in understanding, he knew that she had been distressed about the whole Sokka situation. Katara looked towards where the river once was, which was partially covered by the thick steam. "Quite literally actually." She joked.

Zuko released a small laugh at her lame word pun. Katara continued to breathe hard and closed her eyes, frowning.

"Katara, are you okay?" asked Zuko. He started to reach out with his hands when she slowly opened her eyes again. Her bright blue eyes seemed to grow dull with every shallow breath.

"Yeah," she managed to say. "I guess that took a lot more out of me than I expected. I'll be up in up in a moment. Can you go look for our stuff?"

Zuko was reluctant to leave an exhausted Katara by herself. He hesitated to agree, but nodded quickly and pushed himself up. He looked towards Katara with a worried look before he took off.

"Don't go anywhere," said Zuko, pointing warningly to her. "I'll be right back."

Katara lightly scoffed at his comment and raised an eyebrow at him. "I can't exactly move, Zuko."

He nodded in content and gave Katara a reassuring smile, before turning around and walking back towards their original spot. The steam had thinned out, the water slowly returning to the river in small droplets. He lowered himself into the bank and began walking carefully through the muddy water. Once Zuko reached the other side, he realized how exhausted, and out of shape he was. He stopped to catch his breath when he spotted their things. Relieved that no mud was splattered against their shoes and clothes, Zuko started to pick up Katara's baggage first. Her bow was even more beautiful up close; it stood up to his shoulder, and was coated in brilliant silver. There was a red strike down the length of the bow. Even the quiver has small intricate designs in silver that Zuko could not decipher. He threw on Katara's cloak over his shoulder, and swung the quiver over his chest. The river had to be crossed again, so Zuko decided he would just carry their shoes over.

Zuko was about to leave when he heard a small grunt from the forest. Alarmed, he turned towards the noise but didn't see anything through the thick mass of trees. He frowned and shook his head for being overly cautious, when a blur of red chased by blue shot through the trees. He knew there weren't animals with a red or blue color like that in the mountains, so Zuko tensed and prepared himself. When nothing happened for the next moment, Zuko began to doubt himself. He sighed quietly and decided it was best to return to Katara and get going. They had lost time sparring in the river. Not to mention Zuko had walked in the wrong direction so they had to travel further.

He took one last look into the trees just to assure his troubled mind, and when nothing appeared, he relaxed his body and turned to walk the other way.

The short trip back was harder than the first. The water started to build up again, and the steam had almost cleared. Zuko pushed his legs through the water, thankful that the currents were still weak; otherwise, he figured he would've dropped all their things.

To his relief, Zuko spotted Katara still leaning against the tree. He lengthened his strides, eager to reach her faster, and make sure she's still okay. Katara titled her head, and smiled at his approach. She had more color to her face, her eyes returning to its bright blue shade, and her heavy breathing was replaced with deep quiet breaths.

"Hey," said Katara. "What took you so long?"

"Was I really gone that long?" mused Zuko. Every time he was away from Katara, and came back, it indeed felt like he hadn't seen her in a while. He quickly casted away the thought and continued, "Sorry, the river had to be crossed there and back, and I guess I got lost in… how to bring our things over." Zuko didn't think it was necessary to mention the weird blurs he saw, especially when nothing happened afterwards. He finally convinced himself he was probably seeing things due to the steam and his exhaustion. Katara nodded with an amused face, accepting his reason.

"You did bring everything, right?" asked Katara.

"Yes, of course," Zuko replied. He slipped the cloak off his shoulder and handed it to Katara; his heartbeat quickened when her hand slipped under his to receive it. Zuko casually took his hand back, and pulled off the quiver from his body, handing it to Katara along with her bow and her shoes.

"Thanks," said Katara smiling up at him. Zuko smiled back at her and nodded a 'uh-huh". He sat down in front of her and began to strap his shoes back on.

"So how are you feeling now?" asked Zuko. He concentrated on putting on his shoes so he wouldn't have to look at her face and find a blush run across his cheeks.

"Better. I did some breathing exercises and rested while you were gone," replied Katara.

"Well," started Zuko, he finished with his shoes and didn't have anything else to occupy himself with, so he started to fiddle with his necklace. "I meant more emotional wise… you know, after letting off some extra steam." Zuko felt entirely awkward with himself. He knew he was no good at asking people these kinds of things. He was always a straightforward guy; mushy-feely kinds of subjects were never really addressed for him. But despite the awkwardness, Zuko still felt the urge to know Katara better.

"I'm still confused about it, and I'm not willing to accept his reasonless demand…" said Katara. "But I am more peaceful inside. I've decided that I'll listen to him for now and just ask him about it later." Katara shrugged, having a small smile on her lips. "Sokka always said not to bend if I don't have to, so letting all that out was actually really refreshing. Thanks, Zuko." Her smile widened as see locked eyes with him.

"Glad to be of service, ma'am," said Zuko with a sarcastic tone. But that was his true feelings. He was glad to be of help to Katara, especially when she had taken such great care of him, ever since she first found him half dead.

Katara continued to smile at him until she looked down to Zuko's fiddling hands.

"You know, I was wondering what this was when I healed your neck on the first night," said Katara. "Do you mind?"

"Of course not," said Zuko shaking his head. "Don't be afraid to ask me things, Katara." He stopped twirling the necklace in his hands and showed it to Katara. It was a circle shaped blue stone, with silver wave like markings. It was embedded into a red back piece that had fire symbol on it. The stone was hooked with a golden clamp, allowing the blue chain to loop through it. Zuko always liked how the necklace's chain was long, so he could tuck it under his robe. Katara brought her face close to Zuko's to admire the stone.

"It's so beautiful," said Katara. Zuko tried not to think about the heat of her words against his face. "Where did you get this?"

"Actually," said Zuko. "It's something that was given to me by my mother apparently. My uncle says it protects the person who wears it. And I was told some ancestor of mine really treasured it, so it's been passed down the family ever since."

"Then it must be important to you," Katara remarked, still admiring the necklace. She seemed to be in a trance like state, looking at the stone.

"I guess," said Zuko. He frowned at Katara's blank stare and waved a hand in front of her face. "Katara? You okay? Do you like it that much?"

"Oh no! It's not like that," said Katara, blushing and waving her hands in front of her. "I mean—I just thought it looked familiar. Sorry." She pulled back from Zuko, letting go of the necklace.

"No need to apologize," said Zuko shrugging. He pulled the necklace back under his robes where it was hidden from view. He looked around the forest and back at Katara with a raised eyebrow.

"Should we actually start walking up the river now?" asked Zuko, letting out a small laugh. "I wouldn't be surprised if Sokka already made it up there before us." Katara also laughed at the realization.

"Well, excuse me," said Katara with a sarcastic tone. She smiled again and continued, "He did say to hurry up and get to your house, whoops… I guess we have to get going now."

Zuko nodded in agreement and jumped to his feet, eager to give his hand out to Katara, and help her up. She took it with a small 'thanks' and picked up her bow. Her quiver and cloak were already swung over her body. After adjusting, Zuko started walking back towards the river—or at least what was left of it—with Katara comfortably next to him.

* * *

It was too quiet. After following the path of the river, Zuko began to recognize the terrain that was closer to his house. He was thankful that his uncle decided to mark a few of the trees surrounding their house when they first came, just in case one of them got lost. But something felt off. Zuko frowned and began to lengthen his strides.

"Are we close to your house?" asked Katara when he began to walk faster.

"Yeah," said Zuko, still frowning. "But something isn't right. You can usually hear the animals making noise, and the house is always lively…" Zuko's frown deepened as he heard his own words. "I just have a bad feeling about this."

"I do too," said Katara. "The air around here feels really dry. I can barely feel the moisture in the air."

Zuko suddenly stopped, surprising Katara behind him. She was right, the air felt undeniably dry—something he hadn't noticed due to his naturally high body temperature. But this was an aftereffect of something he knew of very well. He knew what had happened.

"Zuko?" inquired Katara, cocking her head to the side in confusion.

"Let's hurry," said Zuko. His speed walk burst into a run towards his home. He didn't want to prove his theory right, but he had to see what had happened. Zuko could hear Katara's breathing behind him, and he knew she was still drained from their previous spar. He internally apologized, promising that he would do his best to take care of her later. Zuko's stomach lurched with nervous anticipation as he blurred through the trees closest to where his house was. His worst nightmare confirmed.

Zuko felt his breath leave him as he took in the scene before his eyes. A large rectangle of black ash covered where his house once was. Only a few of the wooden boards that supported his house was in a pile at the center. The wooden fence that held the animals was burned, all the animals gone. Pain battered through his chest when he realized that his uncle was nowhere to be seen. He heard a gasp escape from Katara, as Zuko's world began to shatter.

* * *

A/N: I realized that my chapters are slowly getting longer.  
Well folks, this is the ending that I wanted to reach in the previous chapter, but I couldn't fit it. It's a daunting cliff hanger, I know.  
Anyways, please continue to read and review. Reviews motivate me to write, knowing that there's someone out there who is waiting for the story to update, and I appreciate each and every one of them! Stay awesome.


	6. Resolve

Chapter 6: Resolve

* * *

Everything was blank. Nothing made sense to Zuko. He refused to hear Katara's call for him, her hand shaking his shoulder to try and get a response. He gave her none.

Zuko stared down at the mass of black in front of him. The destruction of his home, the place he ran out from a week before. He felt like a cowardly idiot. How could he run off, leaving his uncle in this mess? If he hadn't been such an incompetent fool, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't have let the culprits take his home, and his uncle, who was like a father to him. Zuko was numb; he couldn't feel his body anymore. _If only I had been there, if only I wasn't such a immature brat, if only—_

"Zuko!" yelled Katara. She slapped both of his cheeks, his face squished in between her hands. He finally looked at her. Her bright blue eyes stared back at him. He didn't say anything to her, afraid that tears would overflow from his eyes when he tried to talk. "Pull yourself together," she stammered. Katara looked back at where his house once stood and returned her gaze back to Zuko. "Your uncle's not dead."

A shock ran through Zuko at her words. His uncle was alive? How? He felt himself frown at her words. Katara continued to look at him, trying to plead and give him some sense of self again.

"I can feel it…" whispered Katara. "When people die… It's like my whole body resonates with that fact." She spoke quietly at him. If her face wasn't so close to his, he might have not heard it. "Maybe, it's because I'm a healer, or something, but, no one died here, Zuko! Please trust me, there's no trace of death here."

Zuko closed his eyes, and let out an unsteady breath. He wanted to believe in her words. He wanted his uncle to be alive, to be safe. His whole body was shaking, but he forced his legs to walk forward. Katara gently removed her hands from his face, but looked at him with a concerned expression. Zuko stepped closer towards what was left of his house. He bent down and lifted a piece of burnt wood from the pile. He could barely feel any warmth from it, so the fire must have happened days ago. Zuko continued to slowly remove the remaining parts, until he cleared out small space around him. He knew what he was looking for. He held onto his last hope as he began to dig through the ash and earth. He felt Katara's eyes on him, wondering what he was doing. Zuko continued to dig his hand into various places in the ground until he hit something hard. His heart thundered nervously against his chest, knowing that if this wasn't what he was looking for, all hope might as well be lost.

Taking in a shaky breath, he removed the dirt and placed his eyes upon the familiar design on a scabbard. Relief and hope flowed through him as he pulled out the heavy scabbard out of the earth, the familiar weight resting in his hands again.

"Katara…" Zuko finally managed to say. "My uncle, is really alive…" Zuko stood up, still holding the scabbard in his hands and turned to her. Katara's face was filled with confusion and worry, but she released a sigh of relief at his words.

"That's… a sword," said Katara, saying each word slowly.

Zuko took another deep breath before speaking. Although he had no idea what had happened, he at least knew that his uncle was alive and somewhere. He looked at Katara with stronger sense of his sanity than before.

"They're Dual dao swords," said Zuko, firmly griping the swords in his hands. "When we first came here, there was a time when I left to do something, but when I came back, my uncle was gone, and I thought something bad had happened." Katara nodded her head, following Zuko's story. "So we decided that when either of us needed to leave the house when the other was gone, we would remove the swords from the wall and put them under the house." Katara's eyes widened with understanding at his words.

"So…" said Katara. "Your uncle wasn't in the house when… this happened?"

Zuko shrugged and shook his head back and forth, "I'm not really sure what happened… but he's alive, and he's out there somewhere." Zuko lifted his head just in time to meet Katara's sudden crashing hug. He was so shocked that he dropped the dao swords at his feet. Katara pulled Zuko into a tight hug around his neck, releasing comforting sighs near his chest.

"Oh, god…" whispered Katara. "I'm so glad that he's not gone. He's alive. It's okay now… He's alive…"

Zuko let his eyes close again, taking in her words, filling him with assurance. He didn't know what he would've done if Katara wasn't there to hammer sense into him. Zuko slowly lifted his arms and wrapped them around Katara's waist, burrowing his face in her hair.

"Thank you, Katara," muttered Zuko. He felt her hands gently pat his back in a rhythmic motion, as he took in her cooling fragrance. Zuko wanted to hug Katara forever, she felt like a safe haven for him, where he could rest and forget about all his worries. The moment was fleeting.

"Stop! Argh—let _go_ of me!"

A familiar voice shouted in the distance. Zuko and Katara promptly looked up towards the sound, and saw a terrifying reality. About 30 soldiers dressed in black and red armor were approaching them. Each of them wore a helmet protruding two pairs of horns, and a white ventilating mask to hide their identity. Zuko noticed a soldier dragging a man in blue with a thick rope around his arms. It was Sokka.

"Sokka!" yelled Katara. She freed herself from Zuko and ran towards the soldiers when a stream of fire was blasted near her feet. These soldiers were fire benders. Sokka grunted and tilted his head to see his sister almost consumed by flames. He looked completely worn out and beaten. Blood trailed from his hairline and from his mouth, his face bruised and swollen. His arms were tied to the sides of his body with a thick rope, restricting his movement.

"Katara! Run away!" croaked Sokka.

"Silence!" yelled the soldier who was holding onto Sokka, and quickly slammed his fist down to the back of his head. Sokka let out a yelp of pain and grew limp, collapsing to the ground.

"No! Sokka!" yelled Katara and started running towards the soldiers again.

"Katara, stop!" yelled Zuko. He finally realized the situation was not in their favor; he quickly sprinted after her and grabbed Katara around her shoulders.

"Zuko let go of me!" Katara resisted against him and tried to shake him off, but Zuko refused to let her run to a fiery death. He could hear her voice cracking as she spoke to him.

"Katara. Calm down, we'll get Sokka back," Zuko urgently said into Katara's ear, as he pulled Katara away from the soldiers. "Plus there's too many of them, we can't fight them all." Katara cursed, but settled down. He could still feel her body shaking in fury and frustration. One of the soldiers in the front stepped forward and pointed at Katara.

"Hand over the girl," he demanded. "If you do not comply, we will force you too."

Zuko was stunned. Why in the world would they want Katara? Nothing seemed to make sense. According to what he knew, she was just some nomad that always moved and lived with her brother. Katara tried to lunge forward and say something, when Zuko pulled her back and covered her mouth with his hand.

"I'm not giving her to you," he spat at the soldier. "Who are you guys anyways?" The soldier seemed to smirk at his comment and took another step forward.

"Brat," he commented, ignoring Zuko's question. "We already wasted enough time at the wrong house here, so I'm not in any mood to negotiate. Hand her over." Zuko growled at his words, referring to Katara like a piece of equipment that could be passed around.

"No," Zuko curtly replied. He then realized what the soldier said. "The house here? You were the ones who burned the house down?" Zuko could feel his rage build up with every passing second. He wanted to strangle the soldier for his deeds. The armored man seemed to be pleased with Zuko's anger.

"And what of it?" the man asked. "The foolish old man didn't even let us in, and attacked us too. So we burned the house down." The men laughed wickedly at the memory. Zuko's entire body began to shake with anger, if he wasn't holding Katara in his arms, he would have charged the men and unleashed his fury. The soldier paused for a moment and walked over to Sokka's unconscious body. He ignited a fire in his palm, and held it up against Sokka's face.

"Isn't this man important to you?" asked the soldier. Katara flailed and struggled against Zuko again when the soldier brought the flame closer to Sokka, her screams of protest muffled by Zuko's hand. "I won't mind burning him to death. He was blocking and fighting us off the entire day anyways… So… what will it be?"

_What? _Zuko's anger was now multiplied with confusion. He didn't understand what the soldier was saying. _Sokka was fighting these guys?_ A million questions bombarded through Zuko's head. Katara seemed to breath heavily as her body trembled hearing the man's words.

"S-So…kka…" Katara mumbled through Zuko's fingers and pushed weakly against his grip. He felt his heart shatter when tears fell from Katara's eyes. Then she suddenly fell limp in Zuko's arms.

"Katara!" Zuko yelled frantically, trying to comprehend what was going on.

Suddenly a blast of air sent Zuko flying back. He hit the hard ground on his back, causing his necklace to slip out from under his robe. He stuttered and gasped for breath. _What the heck just happened?_ Zuko felt a familiar chill run up his spine. He forced his eyes to open and saw Katara slowly stand up, she seemed to be levitating in the air. Powerful energy whirled around her. The green landscape began to turn yellow then brown, as the water was bended out from it. Thin sheets of ice formed rapidly and covered the dead plants. Thunder shook the skies. The pleasant evening sunlight was now covered in dark storm clouds that hovered over them. Zuko could hear gasps and shocked murmurs from the soldiers at the sudden change of their surroundings. He was no different.

"Don't fear!" yelled the soldier from before. "Capture her!"

At his command, a line of 10 soldiers formed and prepared to attack. Zuko knew that the combined fire of ten soldiers would be too much to Katara to handle. But before the soldiers were able to attack, Katara walked forward and lifted her hand, making a grasping motion towards the line the soldiers. The men screamed as blood erupted from the spaces in their armor. They collapsed to the ground, dead. Screams of horror escaped from the other soldiers as they watched Katara continue to destroy the remaining solders in a similar manner.

"Fall back!" someone yelled. "Take the man and retreat!"

Zuko watched as the remaining four men took Sokka's unconscious body and dragged it along in their escape. After obliterating the other soldiers, Katara directed her attention to the runaways.

"Katara, stop!" yelled Zuko. He was afraid Katara might end up killing Sokka by mistake. She turned towards the sound of his voice. Her beautiful blue eyes had altered into a bloody red. Even with the soldiers' blood splattered against her cheek, she was emotionless, her eyes holding no hint of life. This was not Katara. There was no way the Katara he knew could kill so many men without mercy or hesitation. He watched as she raised her hand towards him, and Zuko braced himself for death.

He waited. But nothing seemed to happen. Zuko cautiously opened his eyes again to see Katara staring down at him. A frown creased her forehead as her deep crimson eyes bore into him. Her arm slowly lowered and she crumbled to the earth.

Zuko stood there in the chilling silence, shocked and dumbfounded. His whole body was trembling with the energy rush, thinking that he was going to die. The dark clouds slowly faded, letting the sun's rays light the ground again. The ice had melted, leaving the dead plants frosted in decay. It was a complete massacre. Broken and bloody bodies in armor were spread throughout the ground; the dark yellow grass was now dyed red. Zuko was in disbelief. He could barely register what just had happened. He forced himself to step towards Katara who was now silently positioned against the ground. He fell on his knees in front of her, his shaking hands reached out for her face.

"K-Katara…?" muttered Zuko. He slowly pressed his fingers to her neck and felt a faint, but steady heart beat. She was alive. Relief washed over him as he let out a shallow breath. Zuko had almost lost his uncle today, and he wasn't ready to almost lose Katara. He looked up at the clear afternoon sky that seemed stunning by itself, but Zuko soon remembered he was accompanied by the smell of blood and the dead soldiers on earth.

* * *

A/N: This was a really hard chapter to write.  
I had to do a lot of emotionally-describing-breakdowns for both Katara and Zuko. But it was fun nevertheless.  
SO. What the heck happened to Katara huh? Heh. I'm quite excited for the next chapters now.

By the way, for some of you who want more of a visual representation of what Katara and Zuko look like in my story, I have drawn out their appearance! (: Zuko looks pretty much the same, but Katara looks a bit different. At least this is how I imagined her. You can really tell I put more effort into Zuko, so I apologize for the bad drawing of Katara -_-. The link refuses to post here, so it is on my profile.

See you soon! ^^


	7. A New Friend

Chapter 7: A New Friend

* * *

Zuko was sick of all the injustice he had to face that day. Why couldn't people just be nice to their neighbors and move on? He always thought of himself who can adapt to unexpected situations well, but he was shocked nonetheless. Zuko carried Katara on his back and made a run for it after the soldiers left. He didn't know if there would be reinforcements, and he wasn't going to stay to find out.

He hooked the strap of the dual dao swords over his neck, then slung Katara's quiver and bow across her back. Zuko was felt oddly drained of all his energy, after Katara had passed out. They weren't in a good position. He decided that before anything else, Katara's safety was his priority. He steadily walked down the mountain, following the river near his house. He remembered he and his uncle had passed through a large city before climbing up the mountains.

His uncle… Zuko knew that he was alive somewhere, so he bit back the negative thoughts and regained his composure. His uncle was his fire bending teacher. A master that could definitely protect himself when the need arises. He could take care of himself.

Sweat began to slide down the sides of Zuko's face as he continued to roughly walk down the mountainside. Was Katara made up of pure muscle mass? She was heavier than Zuko would have admitted. The adrenaline rush in the beginning helped him ignore her weight and escape, but it was pressing down on him hard now. He had to bend over slightly so Katara wouldn't fall off being unconscious and all, and his lower back muscles were heavily burdened upon. But he refused to give up. He needed a doctor to look at her. Even if it meant that he would be under debt for the rest of his life.

Wait. Why did he think that? Zuko thought about it, and realized he's only known Katara for a little more than a week. He wondered why he felt so protective over her. He remembered the feeling he had after the spar, when Zuko couldn't find her; it was devastation. He felt devastated that Katara was no longer in his sight, possibly injured, all because of him. Where did these feelings come from? Zuko continued to question his feelings as he pushed his exhausted body down the mountain.

_Oh! It must be because she saved me when we first met. It's only natural that I'd feel like this. Since she saved my life, now it's my turn to save hers. This makes sense… I finally understand these strong feelings. That's right, I have to save her no matter what. It's the only way to pay her back for all her kindness. I can do this… _

* * *

Zuko thought his body was going to break by the time he approached the outskirts of the city. The small river expanded wider and wider, and the ground was beginning to even out. Every muscle in his body was screaming at him, and he felt like his body was burning. The sun was beginning to set and the thick mass of trees started to disappear behind him. Zuko refused to set Katara down once to rest, because if he did, he knew his body would refuse to pick her back up again. He gently laid Katara on the ground, removing the quiver strap and the bow, and he felt his hands slide from underneath her thighs. Zuko extended his fingers near her throat. She was still alive and breathing. He let out a sigh of relief as he collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted. His arms and legs silently trembled against his body, and his breathing was quick and shallow.

Zuko stayed hugging the dirt and looked at Katara. She hadn't woken up or moved a muscle since she passed out, and Zuko was starting to panic again. She wasn't running a fever, frowning, and didn't bat an eyelid. It was as if she was… NO. He wouldn't think that. She was definitely alive, and he knew he had to get her somewhere safe.

His breathing had calmed to a certain degree, so he agreed that it was time to move again. He willed his arms to shift, and pushed himself up to his knees when he heard a rattle in the bushes. Startled, he directed himself to the noise when three figures burst out from the trees.

A small boy with dark messy hair and ragged clothes ran out towards the river. He was being chased by two large angry men in sloppy red armor with brown splatters of their heads and chest.

"You little punk," huffed one of the guys. "How dare you throw mud balls at us. We'll make you pay." He reached over to his waist and pulled out his sword. The child backed up to the river, breathing heavily and glared at the two men. "Nowhere to run now, huh?" mocked the other man. The two men grinned evilly and began to approach the child with their swords pointed.

Zuko thought he had no more energy to spare, so he was surprised to find himself standing up in anger. How could two grown men point their swords at a helpless child? He couldn't understand it. And he wouldn't allow it. Katara was indeed his priority, but he couldn't just overlook what was happening right in front of him.

He quickly grabbed his dao swords and unsheathed them, the familiar weight of the metal rested in his hands. Zuko focused on his remaining energy and strode forward at the two men.

"Hey," he growled. All three faces turned to his direction. "Two men ganging up on one little boy is a bit shameful, no?" Zuko forced his voice to sound steely, and tried his best to mask up how weary he already was. He hoped these men were simple soldiers, but even then, he wasn't sure he could take them down in his condition.

"Haaaah?" snarled one of the guys. "You have a death wish, or what?" he glowered back at Zuko as the side of his face twitched in anger.

Zuko kept clam and put on his best I'll-kill-you-if-you-don't-leave-face. "I actually came back from the mountains after some intense training, and I don't mind using my new skills on you," he bluffed. In a technical sense, what he said was true, but he just didn't have the strength to fight both men while protecting the young boy. To further prove his point, he called fire within his palms and sent the heat down the blade. The metal began to glow a bright orange and hissed with the high temperature. "I'll melt your skin off," he whispered in a low voice. Zuko continued to stare at the two men with his face void of emotion.

All three pairs of eyes widened at the sight of his swords. One of the men let out a low grumble and stepped back. Zuko took this chance and quietly took a step forward. The men flinched at his sudden approach and gave a quick glance at the young boy before stepping back again.

"W-we'll let you off this time," one said quickly. "Don't think you can get away with this though." The other added a quick nod and angry glare at Zuko before turning around and running back.

As soon as the men were out of sight, Zuko felt his energy drain from his arms and he fell towards the ground again. He stopped his face fall by sinking the blades in the ground in front of him to support his heavy body.

"Mister!" shouted the young boy, and ran towards Zuko.

"You okay, kid?" asked Zuko, raising his head to meet a worried face. "They didn't hurt you?" The young boy shook his head 'no' and Zuko nodded in understanding.

"But mister, what's wrong?"

Zuko nodded again at the boy and gave him a reassuring smile. "Just, really tired… do you live in this city? I'm in need of a doctor for the young lady over there" he said, gesturing towards Katara. The boy nodded quickly and smiled.

"My mom can help her. Come to my house, I live close by." Said the boy. He looked at Zuko with beaming eyes. "And I have to thank you for saving me back there."

"All right," said Zuko. He couldn't be picky about any help that was offered to him. "Lead the way." He forced his legs to stand up again, and pulled his swords out of the dirt. Zuko sheathed the swords back and slung the strap over his neck again. He walked towards Katara, and mustered the strength needed. He was going to save her. He had too. Squatting in front of her, he grasped her wrists and pulled her arms over his shoulders, setting her on his back again. With all his determination, he hooked his hands under Katara's legs and stood up again.

The young boy watched Zuko carefully, and extended out a hand. "I'll hold the bow and arrows for you, mister." He said with a smile. Zuko gave the boy a small smile back and handed the bow and quiver to the youngster. "Careful," said Zuko. "These belong to her, so you have to be extra gentle." The boy nodded fiercely, determined not to fail his task.

"I'm Lee, by the way. Thanks for helping me out, mister," said Lee cheerfully. He looked awfully happy for someone who almost died. Zuko smirked at Lee's optimism, and followed the boy towards his house, with the weight of Katara's limp body over his.

* * *

"Lee!"

Zuko had walked another arduous journey towards the boy's house. It wasn't that far from the river, but every step felt like his body was going to break down. He listened to the Lee's rambling about how cool Zuko looked with his swords and how awesome it would be if his brother were there too. Zuko only heard half of the things the boy said, and occasionally grunted at him to agree. A farm of pigs snorted at their arrival, and a dark haired woman burst out from the front door, looking bewildered.

"Lee, where have you _been_?" she swooped down and hugged Lee. "Your father and I had been so worried about you." Lee's mom continued to hug him tightly and release sighs of relief.

"I'm okay mom, really!" Lee pulled back from his mother's embrace, smiled and pointed to Zuko, "this mister helped me!" Lee's mother finally noticed Zuko and gasped. He must have looked worse than he thought.

"Oh my goodness," she said, standing up again and addressing Zuko. "Thank you for helping my son today." She bowed at Zuko and continued, "I know my son's a little reckless, but he has a good heart, really, I—"

"_Mom_, not now!" Lee complained. "His friend needs help!" She looked up at Katara, and nodded quickly, "Excuse me, please come in. I'll do what I can to help."

"Thank you," Zuko murmured as he stepped into the house after her. The house was small, yet spacious to fit a family of four. He followed Lee's mom to a small room that had a bed in the corner, but looked unused for some time. Zuko set Katara down on the bed and panted from exhaustion. He watched Lee's mom look over Katara, when a man in a green vest and a dark beard walked in the room.

"Sela?" the man called out. Lee's mom turned her head to meet the man, when he spotted Zuko. "You must be the young man who saved my son, thank you." He said, inclining his head towards Zuko. "I'm Lee's father, Gansu. And this is my wife, Sela," he said, gesturing to her. Lee ran out from behind his father and smiled at Zuko.

"I'm Zuko," he said, also inclining his head in return. "Thank you for helping me, as well." Gansu smiled firmly at him.

"My son told me what happened," said Gansu, slightly glaring down at his son. "We'll do whatever we can to help you." He frowned deeply and continued, "I'll make those fire nation soldiers pay for what they did to my son. Although…" he looked down at his son again. "It _was_ partially your fault for provoking them!"

Lee recoiled from Gansu's voice and frowned, "But they were bothering old man Ted at his store! I couldn't just stand there and do nothing!" Lee pouted and crossed his arms. Gansu sighed at his son's stubbornness and Sela giggled. She rose from checking Katara and smiled at Zuko.

"She's fine, honey," said Sela. "It looks like she has a couple scratches here and there, but her breathing and internal organs appear to be fine. I think she must have very tired. Did she do any sudden strenuous activity?"

Zuko wanted to answer truthfully, but realized that it sounded crazy. _Oh, nothing much. She just suddenly turned ultra powerful, killed a couple dozen soldiers in their blood, and drastically altered the landscape with her bending. Not to mention her eyes turned red and she was levitating in the air._

"I'm not too sure," stuttered Zuko. "She just suddenly collapsed on me this morning, and hasn't woken up since…"

Sela nodded understandingly, and Zuko was glad she didn't ask him further. "She should wake up soon," she smiled reassuringly and raised the blanket over Katara's body. "You should rest too, Zuko. Honestly, you look worse than your friend here."

"You can sleep in my bed!" said Lee enthusiastically. Zuko smiled and patted Lee's head.

"Thanks, Lee," he said. "But you should sleep in your bed, you're still growing, no? And I'm fine with sleeping on the floor here."

"Oh, but…" said Sela. "We can't let you do that, you should rest properly…"

Zuko smiled gratefully at her, and continued, "Don't worry ma'am. I'm used to sleeping on the floor. No need for blankets either."

"But…" Sela bit her lip and frowned.

"Sela, the young man said he's comfortable the way he is," said Gansu. " And I'm sure he wants to rest now." He put his hand on her shoulder and started pulling her towards the door.

"Oh, all right…" she sighed. "But I'll just leave these here incase you change your mind. It gets pretty cold at night." Sela set down a folded blanket near the bed before smiling and turning to leave.

"Hey, mom," said Lee. "Can I sleep on the floor too?" Zuko heard her groan at her son, and Gansu responded. "No, Lee. You're too young." Zuko smiled slightly as Lee complained and the family's footsteps grew distant. He looked down at Katara's peaceful face and sighed. Picking up the extra blanket, he unfolded it and layered it on top of the other sheet. He was sure Katara was the one who set the two blankets over him, before the she and Sokka left to hunt that early morning. He smiled at the memory and set his chin down on the edge of the bed. Zuko gently brushed the loose strands of hair from her face and closed his eyes. He thought about her bright blue eyes, her laugh, her smile, and how he wished to hear her melodious voice again, before finally drifting off to sleep.

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry this chapter took so long to update. This week has been hectic.  
Anyways, I know there wasn't a lot of high action in this chapter, but I felt the need to tone it down after some crazy cliff hangers in the previous chapters. I hope you liked this chapter nevertheless. (:  
Also, to answer 'LovinZuko''s question, Katara isn't the avatar... but I won't say anymore on what she actually is. hehehe. I have yet to decide whether I want Aang, or the existence of the avatar at all in my story. But I do have ideas on how to incorporate him if there is a high demand for the avatar... (: You guys can decide.

See you soon.


	8. Sheltered and Protected

Chapter 8: Sheltered and Protected

* * *

_A woman's voice screamed, and cried out. There was a man in front of him. A cruel face, his twisted and sneering figure, seemed to send shivers down Zuko's spine. It was hot. Burning. Bright orange roared around him, making him unable to escape. He couldn't move or scream. A wicked laugh echoed throughout his ears. _

"AAAGGHHH!"

Zuko lunged forward, startled awake. His face and body was beaded with sweat, and his chest heaved with every heavy breath. For a moment, he stared wide-eyed at the blank walls. A nightmare. Never had he dreamt something like that, but it felt erringly real. Zuko took a couple deep breaths, and closed his eyes again, feeling the cool air of the morning. His entire body was sore; extending every muscle took all his self-control to not cry out.

He shook his head awake, and looked over to Katara. She hadn't woken up yet. Zuko sighed and continued to study her face. Every moment that passed by with Katara still out, seemed to weigh of him more and more. Suddenly, her eyebrows knitted together in a frown and she turned her head slightly. Zuko immediately jumped to his feet and approached her side. He didn't imagine that just now, Katara really had moved.

"Katara…?" he called out. All his hope seemed to be crushed when there was no response from her. His breathing quickened when she slowly opened her eyes, sluggishly closing and opening them again. She seemed unfocused and slow until she looked over at Zuko.

"Zu…ko?" Katara's voice sounded hoarse and dry, but it was the best thing Zuko had heard in the last 24 hours.

"Yeah! It's me. Can you hear me? Are you feeling okay?" He pressed closer to her face to try and hear her quiet voice. He wanted to ask her a lot of questions, but mostly, he was glad that she had woken up again.

"Zuko… where… what's…" Katara's words slurred as she tried to speak. She seemed to struggle with staying awake; her eyes darted around, unable to focus.

"Hold on," said Zuko. "I'll get some help, don't worry." He stood up quickly and bolted out the door. Thankfully the person he was looking for was already up.

"Sela!" he shouted towards her. She was in the kitchen cutting up food. She turned around surprised at the sudden call.

"Oh, good morning, Zuko," said Sela with a warm smile. "What's the matter?"

"Katara's awake!" he exclaimed, unable to calm himself down. "But I think there's something wrong." Sela nodded and quickly wiped her hands off and removed the apron. Once they walked in, she crouched down to examine Katara.

"Don't worry, Zuko," said Sela. "Her body probably feels really sluggish because she was out for so long." Sela walked out and brought back a small bowl of water. She gently helped Katara sit up and lean back against the wall. "Here," she gently lifted the bowl up to Katara's lips. "It's bad to be dehydrated…"

Katara slowly sipped the water and coughed to clear her throat. "Thank… you…" she murmured. Sela smiled at her and set the bowl aside.

"I'm glad to see you up," Sela looked over at Zuko. "He's been really worried about you." Zuko felt a blush creep across his face, and coughed nervously. Sela smiled knowingly at Zuko and proceeded to walk out. "Just make sure to rest a little more, and no burdensome activities." Both Zuko and Katara nodded at her words as she walked out.

"Zuko," Katara began. "Sokka…" He felt like there was a knife in his throat. What would he say to her? He stood still, silent, waiting for Katara to continue instead. "Where are we? What happened? I remember Sokka was hurt… and then…" Katara rubbed her forehead and frowned. "Everything just went black…" She looked up at Zuko for answers.

"Katara," he paused, it seemed to him that she didn't remember anything. _How can I tell her what actually happened? She wouldn't believe me. It might be better for me to just take that part out. _"You suddenly collapsed yesterday, when the soldiers came…"

"What about Sokka?"

Zuko turned his head in shame. How could he tell her that he brought her but not her brother? Katara would feel awful. "I'm sorry, Katara," he muttered. "I…"

"It's okay, Zuko," said Katara. He looked back at her face. She looked stronger than before. "Don't blame yourself, it's not your fault… Sokka's a grown man. He can take care of himself." Zuko felt inadequate. Here he was, being comforted by Katara when it was supposed to be the other way around. He told himself to snap out of it.

"Katara," said Zuko. "I promise that we will find your brother. No matter what." Katara nodded firmly at his words and gave him a small smile. "We'll find your uncle too," she said quietly. They came to a small agreement and Katara extended her hand out. "Help me up, will you?" Zuko smiled and helped her to her feet, and walked out.

"Oh my, up already?" asked Sela. Zuko smiled at her and sat Katara down on a chair.

"Zuko!" Lee ran up towards him, excited as ever. He noticed Katara next to Zuko and smiled. "Hey, you're awake!" He stepped towards Katara and stretched out a hand, "I'm Lee. Are you Zuko's girlfriend?"

"No!" both Katara and Zuko shouted simultaneously. He felt his face redden again and smacked his forehead. Sela muffled a grumble, and Lee frowned at the two of them. "Aw, really? I was so sure, with the way Zuko was stari—"

"All right, all right," said Sela as she pulled a hand over Lee's mouth and began to drag him away. "That's enough. Go out to the field and call your dad for breakfast." Lee mumbled something in his mom's hand but otherwise, left the room. "Anyways, I'm sure you two are hungry. Sit down."

Zuko didn't realize how hungry he was until she mentioned it. Both he and Katara hadn't eaten anything since yesterday morning.

"Thank you so much for taking care of us," said Katara, while inclining her head. Sela smiled warmly and began to set down soup bowls.

"Thank Zuko, he's the one who helped us first," Katara looked at Zuko questioningly and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, I just happened to help Lee when you were out," said Zuko fidgeting, stammering with the sudden attention. He was glad for the distraction when Gansu and Lee walked into the kitchen.

"Those damn fire nation soldiers…" Gansu mumbled. Sela frowned at her husband as they sat down around the table to eat. "Honey, are they still here?" she asked worriedly. Gansu only nodded at her and sighed.

"Fire nation soldiers are here? What's going on?" inquired Zuko. Katara also looked up from her food to listen. Gansu took in a mouthful of soup before speaking. "Yes, about two weeks ago, a huge fire navy ship docked at the city. I heard they were looking for someone, but they've caused nothing but trouble since they got here." Lee nodded fiercely at his father's words. "They always bother old man Ted and demand stuff from his store; bullies." Lee grumbled.

"That's awful," remarked Katara. "How could they do that? Don't people fight back?"

"Well, they came under the flag of peace," said Gansu. "And even if we did try to fight them, they would just annihilate us all." He set his spoon down and frowned deeply. "Every since they drafted all the young men to fight in the war, we've been helpless."

"War?" both Katara and Zuko repeated? _What war?_ The entire family quieted and looked at their two guests with confusion.

"What do you mean, 'what war'?" Gansu asked. "The war we're in right now against the fire nation, the Hundred Year War!" Zuko almost dropped his spoon at Gansu's words. He looked over to see Katara just as confused as he was. "Did you…?" he began to ask Katara. She looked back at him and slowly shook her head.

The table grew uncomfortably silent as no one said anything for the next moment. Gansu finally spoke up again. "Are you youngsters serious?" Katara and Zuko both nodded their heads. Zuko thought Gansu or Lee would exclaim 'just kidding!' any moment now, but it never came.

"I was never told about it…" Katara whispered. Zuko nodded in agreement. "Same, my uncle never said anything about a war at all." Gansu let out a low breath, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Well…" Gansu shook his head and finished the last bit of his food. "Aren't you from the fire nation?"

"Well yes," said Zuko, also finishing up his food. "But I've never been there. I've always grown up with my uncle in the countryside as a farmer." Zuko paused before letting out his last words. "And… So then, don't you hate the fire nation…? Why…"

This time, Sela spoke up and gave Zuko a smile. "As much as we dislike the fire nation, and everything they've done to us, we don't believe you're a bad person." Lee nodded and gave Zuko a big toothy grin. "And we're not going to forget what you've done for Lee just because of your ethnicity, or where you're from."

Zuko felt eternally grateful to these people. He lowered his head again and spoke, "Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me." Katara also thanked the family.

"The fire nation soldiers burned my house down and took Katara's brother," said Zuko. Sela gasped, Gansu and Lee looked shocked. "We're trying to save her brother, do you happen to know anything about the fire navy ship?"

"I'm sorry to hear," Gansu hesitated before continuing. "From what I've heard this morning, there's suddenly a lot less of them. Usually, many soldiers are dispatched every morning to get supplies, but only a few of them showed up this morning. They might be leaving soon." Zuko felt his stomach turn at the news. _It sounds like the same ones. Katara took out dozens of soldiers so what he says fits. _

"But," said Gansu, interrupting his thoughts. "Don't do anything reckless. I've heard there's a very, very powerful person on board."

Katara nodded at the man and gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, sir, we won't" Lee finally looked up from his soup with a frown. "Then, Zuko, are you going to leave?" Zuko tried to deny and comfort the kid, but he couldn't say anything. Sela understandingly urged the two men to head outside. Gansu nodded and took Lee from the table. As soon as they left, Sela looked at Zuko apologetically. "I'm sorry about that. Lee must think that you're a lot like his older brother."

"Where is his brother?" asked Zuko. Sela's face fell again and sighed.

"He was recruited to fight against the fire nation," she said quietly. Zuko felt a jab in his heart. He felt like he was betraying Lee. "I'm sorry," he whispered. Sela simply nodded and gave him a small smile. "Are you sure you don't need to rest more?"

Zuko looked towards Katara for approval and she nodded and spoke up. "We'll be okay. Thank you for letting us stay the night, but we need to catch the ship before it leaves." Sela smiled at both of them and reached over for their bowls. "I'll take these." Katara shook her head and laughed, "I know a way to clean them much faster. Please let me do them." Before Sela could protest, Katara quickly grabbed the empty bowls and headed towards the water bucket.

Zuko laughed, knowing the old Katara was back. "I'll go get our stuff." He heard her smirk. "As usual," she remarked. Zuko slightly rolled his eyes and walked to their room. _It was only once. Well, twice now._

He slung his swords over his back, thankful that they weren't over his neck anymore. The quiver and bow were propped up in the corner, so he grabbed them and headed out. Of course, by the time he came out, all the bowls were sparklingly clean. Sela looked really happy, and Katara appeared pleased with herself.

"How's your body?" asked Zuko as he handed Katara her things.

"Much better," she replied with a smile. Zuko felt his heart rate quicken again. Her brilliant blue eyes were looking up at him, and he felt so glad she had woken up. He would have never have forgiven himself if Katara had been permanently injured somehow.

"Time to save Sokka?" Zuko smiled.

"And your uncle," she laughed.

"Yes, and find my uncle," he agreed. The two stepped out of the house into the bright morning light, and heard someone approach. Lee had puffy eyes; his nose was red and sniffled. Zuko crouched down to Lee's height and extended his arms out, pulling Lee into a big hug.

"Stay safe, Zuko," he choked. "And come visit us again later."

"Of course," he replied, tightening his hug over the little boy. "Don't get into trouble again, and listen to your parents." Lee nodded into Zuko's shoulder and pulled back. Zuko and Katara bowed to the parents in thanks and said their farewells.

"Zuko, one last thing," said Gansu. "From now on, I think it'd be best if you don't say you're from the fire nation. Even though technically you're not. Don't fire bend if you don't have too, because it'll attract unwanted attention from people who really despise your nation." Zuko nodded in understanding. "And if you have to state your name, both of you should use a fake one for safety purposes, all right?"

"We will," both of them responded in unison, and laughed. Sela sighed and whispered something to Gansu, who looked quite embarrassed afterwards.

Zuko smiled at the family, and gave one last wave with Katara before turning around and heading off towards the dock.

* * *

A/N: The adventure is finally starting! I'm super excited for the upcoming chapters now, hopefully you guys are too.  
What a happy ending. But it's only to prepare you guys for what's coming up later (:  
In the episode where Zuko meets with Lee's family ("Zuko Alone") I was so sad at the end when everyone hated him and betrayed him because he revealed his firebending. I wanted to change that ending so that the family despises the fire nation, but they still see Zuko's caring heart for the people close to him. Hopefully the message was well read.

So until the next chapter, stay marvelous. See ya.


	9. Infiltration

Chapter 9: Infiltration

* * *

After walking a distance away from Lee's farm, they realized a serious problem—neither of them knew where they were going. Zuko had always lived in urban areas as a farmer, and Katara being a nomad and all, never really lived the city life.

"Well," noted Katara. "We're definitely somewhere in the Earth Kingdom."

"Yes, but I heard the Earth Kingdom is huge," he remarked, shaking his head. "How are we going to find the ship?" Katara simply shrugged and walked into a small store. She seemed awfully carefree for having her brother taken by soldiers for unknown reasons.

"Welcome," a weak voice from the back called out to them. Katara smiled and walked towards the man. He looked aged and fragile. Smile lines creased his mouth and the corners of his eyes. But the man looked kind and smiled warmly at Katara.

"Are you looking for anything in particular today, miss?" he asked. She shook her head again and stepped in front of the counter.

"Actually, I was wondering about the fire nation soldiers that came through town in the last two weeks." The old man looked up in surprise. He seemed hesitant to say anything, so Zuko decided to step in.

"Please, sir," he asked. "Do you happen to know anything about them? We're looking for someone." The man sighed through his nose and his mouth pressed into a firm line.

"Well," he began. "They suddenly appeared about two weeks ago, saying that they only came for business purposes, and that they won't harm anyone. But every morning, dozens of soldiers are dispatched into the all the nearby towns, causing a ruckus, and stealing our things." He looked sadly around his store and commented, "Just look at my store." Indeed, shelves were broken, grain spilled out from punctured bags, and the door stood crookedly against the frame.

"Zuko," Katara spoke up. "We have to get them." He nodded at her words when the old man looked at him with a wide-eyes expression.

"Zuko?" he murmured. "Ah, then you must be the young lad that helped Lee the other day."

"Yeah…" Zuko said, equally surprised. "How did you know?" The senior smiled at him. "I'm Ted. Lee and his father always shop at my store for grains. He came by this morning and told me what happened yesterday."

Zuko remembered. _'They were bothering old man Ted at his store! I couldn't just stand there and do nothing!' _Lee had said something about it. "Ah!" he realized. "Then you're …" The old man seemed to lower his head in shame, and sighed.

"Yes," he stated. "Lee got into big trouble because of me, so I thank you for helping him." He gave Zuko a small bow, and Katara turned to him with a smile. "Also, I'm not sure if this will help you…" he paused before continuing. "Two soldiers came in a moment before you two, and he took more food than usual. They said that they now have another mouth to feed." Katara looked taken aback, but didn't say anything to Zuko. "Lastly, one of them said they'd be departing today."

Zuko stepped closer to the man and asked, "Do you know where they docked their ship?"

"I believe they are at Plain's Pier. It is near the outskirts of town; just ask the local fishermen if you get lost. They'll be able to guide you."

"Thank you," said Zuko. Katara also thanked the man, and walked out of the shop.

"Let's hurry," muttered Katara. She adjusted her bow and started to walk faster.

* * *

Zuko should have never underestimated the word 'ship' as something small. The closer he got to the mass of black metal, the more nervous he got. The ship was enormous, taking up well over half the dock's space. The ship was a lot thinner compared to its length, but the intimidating sharp point in the front didn't make anything better. Small puffs of smoke began to emit from the colossal black ring at the center.

"So…" said Zuko. "What should we do now? It looks like they're about to leave any moment." The two hid near an alley, watching the ship.

"We have to get inside," stated Katara as a-matter-of-factly. Zuko considered sneaking in and about the ship when two masked soldiers stepped out with a large crate.

"Dump it out and return to the deck," a voice said. Katara and Zuko both looked at each other and nodded. He felt a smile spread across his face with the quiet coordination. As the two soldiers came closer, they sprang out quickly and attacked the soldiers. Zuko ran up against the one to the left, swinging his arm over the soldier's neck, and sent a crushing jab to the back of head, swiftly knocking the guy out. He looked over at Katara who was finishing up a similar maneuver, and the soldier crumbled to his knees.

"Impressive," he noted. Katara simply smiled back at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Let's do this quickly," she said, dragging one of the unconscious soldiers into the alleyway. Zuko followed her in, taking the other trooper and hauled the crate too. It was unbelievably heavy. And it smelled funny.

"What's in there?" asked Katara, looking over her shoulder. "It—" she suddenly paused. She frowned at the large container, looked alarmed and gulped. "Zuko, don't open it!"

Too late. Zuko had lifted the lid and almost yelped. There were bodies. Dead bodies. It looked like the soldiers in the same uniform they saw in the mountains. They were horribly disfigured and black. The armor was half melted and completely ruined. They were burned to death. Zuko promptly shut the lid and closed his eyes. _What in the world happened to them? How did they end up like this?_ He concentrated on his breathing and tried not to think about what he just saw. Katara had looked away the moment he opened the cover.

He stepped back from the crate and took let out a shaky breath. "Let's hurry," he muttered to Katara. She was already strapping on the stolen armor over her clothes. Thankfully, she was considerably tall for a girl, so the amour didn't seem to hang off her slender body. After fitting everything in place, they slid the skull shaped faceplate into their helmet. The armor was heavy, a lot more than Zuko had imagined. He wondered if Katara's condition had gotten better. She had tucked in her long hair, which made her appear as a male.

"What should we do with our things?" she asked. "Honestly, I don't want to leave them behind." Zuko agreed. He could never leave his swords behind.

"We'll figure something out when the situation arises," said Zuko. Katara nodded her head. After a deep breath, they both checked that everything was in place and walked out towards the ship.

As they approached the ramp, Katara stopped his advance. "Hold on," her voice seemed husky and ventilated by the mask, perfectly hiding her identity. She took a glance around and stepped towards the water. Katara bended some water out and hardened it into a sharp ice blade. Before Zuko could ask what she was doing, she swung the sharp edge over his white faceplate, creating a thin mark across his cheek. "So I can identify you," she spoke, while slicing a mark across her face as well. Zuko hadn't even thought about that before hand. He thanked the gods Katara was thinking ahead of him. She quickly melted the ice blade and bended the water back into the ocean.

"Sir!" someone shouted. "Order that we're departing!" A soldier walked down the ramp and beckoned them to hurry up. He appeared to be no more than a simple soldier, with lighter armor and clothing, and a spear in his right hand. His helmet held no mask, revealing his round face. The man gave a funny look to their things and pointed, "What are those for?" Zuko froze. He hadn't thought the moment would come so quickly. Before the silence could extend and seem suspicious, Katara stepped in front. "Captain's request." She simply stated. The soldier paused, and nodded, accepting her reason.

Zuko grumbled quietly to himself for being an incapable looser, and followed the man into the ship. The deck was enormous. Masked soldiers were placed in a line arcing the rim. He finally realized that none of them held weapons. And there were no weapons attached to the men they stole the armor from.

"Speaking of the captain, she's not in a good mood today," he said. "She wants you to report back to the deck immediately. Good luck." And with that, he ran ahead into a room. The ship suddenly lurched forward, making Zuko almost lose his balance. The ramp was slowly being pulled up, locking itself into the side of the ship. Ropes were thrown, untangling the ship from the dock. Finally, the ship was free and began to cruise towards the open waters.

Zuko leaned over to Katara and spoke quietly. "Let's put these down somewhere safe for now. We'll come back later." She nodded as the two of them quickly ran across the deck. They descended down a staircase and continued walking quickly through various rooms. No one had stopped them so far, but Zuko had no idea where he was going. Finally, they came across the bottom floor where large wooden crates were stacked up together. The room was completely dark, forcing Zuko to put forward a small flame in his palm. It looked deserted, no sense of anyone else on the floor. He looked at Katara again and almost shrieked. He had momentarily forgotten that she was suited in someone else's armor. The skull shaped plate partially covered her eyes, giving her a dark, mysterious feel.

"We have to hurry, Zuko," she said. He walked further back into the room and set his swords between two crates. Katara handed him her bow and quiver, and he swiftly placed them next to his swords. "Let's go," he said. They ran back out of the room, and tried to get back to the deck. Thankfully, it seemed that there was more than one way back, so after climbing several flights of stairs, the ocean was visible.

"All assemble!" a voice called out. Rows of masked soldiers filed onto the deck in perfect unison. About fifty soldiers lined up on the deck, yet there was still a lot of room to spare. Katara and Zuko stepped into the last row, furthest away from the man. He was dressed more lightly than anyone else, with barely any armor on. A large red curved hat sat on his head, and he stood up straight in sleek black boots. Zuko assumed this guy to be the captain. Behind him, were two large doors, elegantly crafted and marked with the fire nation's symbol.

"Soldiers," he spoke. "We are heading back to the fire nation, out home! Although we have lost our prey, we are not returning home empty handed. Many lives were sacrificed in this journey, but we have not entirely failed. We—"

"Enough." The twin doors swung open at the sound of someone's voice. A figure stepped out from the grand doors stood in front of the soldiers. It was a young lady. She had jet back hair that gracefully came down to her ribs, with a thick section of hair setting over the center of her face. She wore similar black and red armor, but with intricate gold linings that weaved evenly throughout her armor. She had glaring golden eyes that bore through the rows of soldiers. Zuko could immediately tell she was someone of authority. She slowly walked forward towards the man who stood in front of her. "Step back, _captain_." Her voice rang in Zuko's ears, the cold tone sent chills down his spine. The captain looked down, and slowly backed up, his body seemed to shake with every step. The dark haired girl finally shot her attention towards the soldiers. Her eyes were lifeless; no hint of emotion or mercy was evident in them.

"You all have heard what happened. I am in no mood to hold back," her icy voice pierced the air. "Come all out… or you will die." A moment after, she shot into the rows of soldiers, kicking an arc of fire to those near her. The fire was blue, with a melting white at its core. Zuko felt the heat even from standing furthest away. It was blazing. Hotter than anything he'd ever felt. He suddenly felt extremely sorry for the ones closest to her. Fire retaliated from the soldiers, filling the deck with an orange blaze.

Zuko looked to the soldier next to him and stared at the faceplate. There was no scratch. His heart hammered against his chest. _Where did Katara go?_ The firebending girl was rapidly knocking down the other soldiers, and he absolutely didn't want to see Katara burned in front of him. The girl moved with precise steps and deadly strikes, bending streams of blue fire from her fists. The entire deck was a mess, soldiers were knocked down towards the edge of the boat and some were even thrown overboard. Out of the dozens of soldiers that stood in the beginning, only a few remained. None of them held the scratch on their faceplate. Had she already been hit? Zuko's thoughts were interrupted when a blast of fire roared in his direction. He quickly jumped out of the way and parried with his own fire, but the other two weren't lucky. They were thrown back and landed on the hard metal with a loud clank.

For a second, the young girl looked surprised at Zuko, but quickly masked it with a hard face. She punched balls of fire in rapid succession towards his face, and bended a stream of flame from her palm in a perfect offensive stance. He barely dodged the first few, and neutralized the rest with his fire. The blue fire grazed the tip of chest plate, but the air around him escaped from his lungs. Zuko staggered back, not accustomed to fighting on a moving ship, and the heavy armor that weighed him down. He breathed hard, already worn out from the fight. The girl spent no time giving Zuko rest; she bolted closer towards him, gracefully avoiding the blast of flame from his fist. He could feel a twinge of jealousy at her incredible skill. She was strong. Stronger than anyone Zuko had ever faced. But he wouldn't give up. He aligned himself again and prepared for her to come closer. In terms of hand-to-hand combat, he was sure his strength would be over hers. Suddenly, she erupted flames from underneath her feet, launching her body forward, approaching faster than Zuko could dodge. Blue fire flared from her palms, catching Zuko straight under his ribs. He grunted in pain and from the heat, and let the girl push him back. Instantly, the girl noticed, and tried to pull back. But it was too late. Her hands had melted through his armor, holding her stationary for a split second. It was all he needed. Zuko smiled underneath his helmet, and quickly grabbed her wrists, twisting them out. She let out a low growl as Zuko called fire to his palms. She reacted quickly, shifting her wrist so that a finger pointed towards his face. A jet of blue fire shot out from the tip of her finger and flew straight towards the opening to his eye. Alarmed, he jumped back, letting go of her wrists. He hadn't completely avoided the shot, the large red horn that protruded from his helmet had melted away. Zuko smiled, the girl didn't get off unscathed either. Her forearm guards were singed, and emitted a quiet hissing noise. And he had efficiently burned off the clothing near her elbow. She stood a couple meters back, and stared at Zuko.

"How d-dare you!" Zuko turned to see the captain stammering in the corner, pointing and screaming at him. "You dare try to harm the pri—"

"Stop," the girl said. Cutting the man off with a raised hand. The captain let out a small whimper, obviously frustrated, but kept his mouth shut. She looked at Zuko again, narrowing her eyes. Her face otherwise lacked emotion. "I did not realize there were soldiers with your level of skill in these ranks." Zuko gulped and wanted to climb into a hole. He had gotten completely carried away with the fight. She slightly lifted her chin, but watched him with calculating eyes. "State your name, soldier."

Before he could speak, the captain stepped in front of him with a glare. "Don't speak peasant." He quickly turned to the girl and pointed down ad Zuko. "You shouldn't associate with these low lives... Princess Azula."

* * *

A/N: Finally, another major character has been introduced to the story! Welcome, Azula.  
So far, this has been the longest chapter I've written. Almost 3,000 words! This was also the first major fight scene I've written. (The spar between Katara and Zuko at the river was short, and didn't have a lot of action, so I consider this my first) Was it conveyed and written in a way that was easily understandable? Tell me your thoughts.  
Lastly, as a forewarning to the future chapters, I am giving Azula a small personality makeover. Of course, she'll still be a prodigy, brilliant minded, calculating, and an overall badass. All I'll say for now, is that, a different past builds a different heart.

P.s. From now, I will try my best to write chapters during the week and upload them in the weekends. So see you guys next week! (:


	10. Sokka

Chapter 10: Sokka

* * *

_A few hours earlier…_

Sokka's head hurt a lot. With every movement, his arms burned and brushed against what felt like rough fabric. He was simply in a lot of pain. His body was being half carried, half dragged through the ground. There was a faint sound of water in the distance. He forced his swollen eyes to open the slightest. They were approaching an enormous black ship, docked at a small pier. It was a fire nation ship. He vaguely remembered the ship's structure from the past.

The soldiers taking him seemed to hurriedly stagger up the ramp. Why were there so few of them? The last time he remembered, he was cornered by at least thirty other soldiers. Katara… was she okay? Did that boy protect her? His stomach took flips when he thought of what might have happened after he was knocked out. But seeing that she wasn't being dragged along with him, he wanted to assume the best and that she was able to get away.

They walked up to the deck and stepped before two large double doors. The doors were huge; Sokka thought ten soldiers could walk side by side and still pass through easily. The fire nation symbol was elegantly crafted at its center. Suddenly, the doors opened and a girl stepped out. If Sokka could have dropped his jaw in surprise, he would have. She was a young girl, her age definitely unfitting the dark emotionless expression she bore. She stood in fitting, refined armor, and her long, jet-black hair tousled in the high winds. But what surprised Sokka the most were her eyes; intense golden tinted eyes that seemed to pierce wherever they looked. It was unmistakable.

The men abruptly dropped Sokka onto the cold metal floor, causing him to bite his tongue. He wanted to cry out in pain but he knew he wasn't in any situation to do so. Blood tricked down the side of his face, but he kept his mouth shut. The men dropped to one knee and bowed their heads to the girl. She remained silent, and stared down at the men.

"Princess," said one soldier near the front. "We have returned." Sokka was stunned. He wanted to turn his attention to the man, and ask him what he was talking about. _Princess? Ridiculous. The Fire Nation Princess? _He waited for someone to prove his thoughts wrong. No one spoke up.

"Lieutenant…" she said quietly. Her sharp voice silenced the air once again. "Why is it, that although I deployed you forty of my soldiers to capture one person… you come back with only four others." She paused before looking over at Sokka. "…With the wrong person."

The soldier at front quietly gulped and his fists trembled against the metal. He kept his head low and looked at the bare floor. "P-Princess… there were unforeseen circumstances, but we believe this man to be our target's brother," he stammered. "He would very useful as bait—to lure in the girl—"

Suddenly, the girl extended her hand out over the man's head. At her touch, the soldier erupted into flames. The fire was unbelievably hot; Sokka could feel his facial hair singing even though he was on the other side. Screams of agony from the solder could barely be heard through the roaring of the flame. After focusing his eyes again, he realized that the fire wasn't a glowing orange, but a searing blue.

Sokka stared shocked and open-mouthed at the scene before him. He could no longer deny it. This girl was indeed the princess of the fire nation. He remembered hearing about her strange flame that burned to temperatures so high that the color of her fire appeared blue. She was the firebending prodigy, a genius in hand-to-hand combat, and was the manipulative mastermind behind many of the successful battles.

He watched in silent horror as the soldier crumbled to the metal surface. She closed her hand into a loose fist, and the fire suddenly disappeared. Sokka couldn't bear to look at the man, but he was unable to turn his head. Most of the soldier's armor had melted into his skin, which was now black and disfigured. His bones were visible through the broken skin, some turned into grey ash, and some, still held their shape.

"Details of your failure do not interest me," she simply stated. She glanced over at the next soldier. "You," she called. "Report to me." The soldier shook and breathed hard. "Y-Yes princess! We were about to capture the girl, however an unexpected situation occurred, forcing us to pull back." He stammered.

She paused, waiting for him to continue. Sokka froze. _It couldn't be…_ He didn't want to believe that his worst nightmare might have come true.

"We cornered the brother and followed after the girl. But the girl was extremely powerful. S-She wiped out half of our team in seconds. We couldn't even see how she did it, or what was going on… Only the men seemed to drown in their own blood… and died," he mumbled. "Then the lieutenant called for an emergency retreat…"

She looked over at the other three soldiers. "Do you concur with what is being said?" she asked. The three other men nodded quickly. All of them still looked down, unable to lift their heads to answer the young princess.

Sokka felt a shiver run down his spine. It was true. He cursed inwardly at himself. _No… not again. God dammit, how many people this time…? What triggered it? Just please be okay. _He thought of his last words to Zuko._ Was that boy killed as well? Damn, this is the worst situation… _Sokka's thoughts flew wildly throughout his head, unable to take the news in.

"I see," she remarked, holding her stone face. She turned on her heel and spoke to the other soldiers standing on the deck."Take this man and follow me," gesturing to Sokka. She looked briefly at the kneeling soldiers and extended her hand out again. "Clean this up," she stated.

"Wait! Plea—" Before one of the soldiers could beg for his life, blue flames engulfed the remaining four men and ate away at their flesh. Sokka lay on his side, silently watching the soldiers burn away. He still couldn't believe it. She waved her hand again and the heat disappeared, leaving four freshly burned corpses. At her wave, the soldiers that stood guard at the deck ran over to the mess. One of them had brought a large crate and they began to haul the bodies into the crate.

"Inform everyone of the situation," she called to one of the soldiers. "We will be departing soon. Call the bending infantry to the deck." The man nodded firmly at her orders and ran out of view. Sokka closed his eyes as he felt two soldiers lift him back up, one supporting him with his shoulders and the other holding his ankles. The crate was shut with a clank, and a voice spoke in the distance. "Let's get this disposed of…"

* * *

Sokka was glad the soldiers were actually properly carrying him this time. His arms were still tied to the sides of his body with a thick rope, but he felt more comfortable than ever. They were ascending down a long stairwell, quietly following the princess. After a sweet moment of silence, they suddenly came to a stop. Sokka slightly peered through his eyelids, to see the situation.

"Princess Azula!" someone called out. A stout man walked over to them. He had practically no armor, weapons, signaling that he was a soldier. He had a dark pointed beard, making his plump face seem out of place. He seemed to frown at the girl and walked with someone who had authority.

"What is it, _captain_?" she asked, clearly mocking him. The man breathed heavily through his nostrils but didn't seem to shake with fear like the other soldiers.

"Princess," he continued. "You need to stop killing off the soldiers. Even if they fail their mission, they are still useful. You are shedding off the Firelord's army!" Sokka was shocked. He desperately feared for the man's life. How could he talk to the princess like that? However, she didn't seem affected by his words. Her face stayed solid, emotionless to the man's words. "You left with three hundred soldiers in the beginning. And now they have been reduced to only a few dozen!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

"Is that so," she replied quietly, apathy in every inch of her tone. "Then I apologize, captain. Or should I say, _adviser_?" The man flinched at her words and took a step back. She scoffed at him again narrowed her eyes, taking a step forward. "Let me, your _humble pupil _give my adviser a piece of important information." Her voice turned icy and sharp and took another step towards the man.

"P-Princess, I am fully aware you are not allowed to harm me," he stated, pulling his hands up in a form of defense. He didn't seem convinced with his own words. "The Firelord would be furious…if…" he trailed off, not wanting to finish his sentence. She continued to stare down the man and leaned in. She whispered something to him, making the man widen his eyes and open his mouth in shock. She pulled back and quickly walked passed him after her words. Sokka closed his eyes again, feeling the soldiers move him past the man. _Just who was he? What did she tell him? If he's an adviser monitoring the princess, why are they at such odds? _

They walked down another floor of stairs and came to a final stop. Without warning Sokka felt the burning heat of her fire explode in front of him. He focused his vision just in time to see the metal wall move open for a hidden room. The soldiers shuffled inside, obviously tired from carrying him all the way there. And he had to give them credit; he was a big guy to transfer down two floors of stairs.

They set him down on the cold metal floor, and began to untie the ropes around his arms. Sokka couldn't even consider escaping. He knew the moment the princess knew he was conscious and try to escape, he would end up like the soldiers before him. Besides, his body was already battered and exhausted from before, he didn't know if he could even take on the regular soldiers.

Heavy chains were locked around his wrists and ankles. He was free to move, but the metal that held him down were unbelievably heavy. The two soldiers then gave a low bow to the princess, before she dismissed them with a wave of her hand. After their leave, the doors shut automatically, leaving the two of them alone in the cold room.

The sound of her footsteps echoed throughout the room, as she approached Sokka.

"I know you're awake," she said in a low voice. He felt his body stiffen at her words. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up at her emotionless face. His neck strained and the bruises on his cheek bone hurt, but he gave the princess his best I-won't-back-down glare.

She cocked her head to the side and seemed to be amused with his pointless efforts. She took another step forward and crouched in front of him, her unyielding eyes pinning him down. _Why couldn't I see it before? _The glaring shade of her golden eyes was a unique trait passed down the fire nation royalty. It was incomparable compared to the rest of the nation's bland light brown eye color.

But that guy… Zuko. What is he? Was he some royal family spy? Impossible. Sokka had never heard of the fire nation having a prince. But everything about his features reminded Sokka of that cursed man, sitting on his throne, mocking him.

The princess watched him carefully. Her cold, calculating eyes seem to look through his soul. She stayed silent, simply staring emotionlessly at his face. He stared back at her, unwilling to open his mouth for anything. Even if he was burned to death or slowly tortured, he would keep the promise he made with his parents to protect Katara. He would never allow his sister to be taken by the fire nation for their selfish reasons. Sokka gritted his teeth and deepened his scowl at the girl.

In all honesty, he felt bad for the girl. She looked to be the same age as Katara but had a soul and facial expression of a forty-five year old man. Showing no hint of mercy or having a guilty conscious when killing off her soldiers brutally.

"What is she?" she suddenly asked, breaking the silence. Confused, Sokka shook his head slightly. _What was she talking about? _"You know, don't you." She continued. "Enlighten me on why I am chasing some girl. From what I heard before, she's not normal is she?"

Sokka pressed his mouth into a hard line, refusing to answer or speak to her. She wanted to know about Katara? Hell—even he didn't know the full story. The silence between them stretched far beyond his comfort zone, but she didn't seem affected at all. He shifted his weight back, bracing himself for the wrath of her fire. He figured her patience didn't extend too long. She slowly stood up from her crouching position.

"Even if you don't answer, there is no escape," she said, lifting her head up. "These chains can only be melted off by a skilled firebender." Sokka cursed inwardly. He guessed then no one else could remove them from his body but her. He was tempted to respond with a snappy comment, when she suddenly disappeared from his view.

Before Sokka could react, he felt a sharp jab to the back of his head, sending waves of pain throughout his body. His vision blurred quickly, and the last thing he saw was the princess turn away from him and walk out, before he lost consciousness.

* * *

A/N: Awww.. Poor Sokka. And damn Azula is scary. If you were confused of the timeline, this happened before Zuko and Katara infiltrated the ship, and right after Sokka was captured. And I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while, things have been quite hectic... -.-  
Anyways, this chapter was more of an experiment, writing it in Sokka's perspective so you guys can get a little more back story. How did it work out? Please review especially for this chapter, so I know whether I should continue with this perspective change later in the story! Who knows, maybe I can go to Katara and Azula's perspective as well. (:  
Lastly, my drawing of Azula is on my DeviantArt page! I'm quite proud of it, and it looks a whole lot better than the other two, so go check it out! Link is on my profile.

See you soon! Don't forget to review C:


	11. The Princess of the Fire Nation

Chapter 11: The Princess of the Fire Nation

* * *

There are three things Zuko learned when dealing with princess Azula. One, don't ever interrupt her more than once. Her patience does not extend too far. Two, don't tell her what to do, or show any kind of dominance over her. And lastly, just shut up. Unfortunately for the captain, or as Zuko learned, the advisor sent to monitor the princess, he did not realize or acknowledge these rules.

After the final outbreak from the advisor, when Azula had told him to shut up multiple times, her temper reached the limit. The ground below him exploded in blue flames, enveloping the advisor's body, and drowning out his screams. Zuko watched open-mouthed in shock as the man crippled to the floor, the fire quickly burning through his clothes. After a terrifying second, she waved her hand out, taking the fire with her. All that was left of the advisor was a ruined body, black and broken. He realized it looked just like the bodies in the crate before. Zuko suppressed his voice, and looked back up. This lady was a princess of the fire nation. He had been fighting seriously with a member of royalty. He was sure he would be sentenced to death any moment now.

"Throw it off," she said. At her command, three soldiers ran forward to the scene, and threw the remaining body parts into a crate. Or at least, what they could grab. The bones were reduced to ash at their touch, and blown away. Then, the large box was thrown overboard, breaking into the ocean depths. She stepped over the burned spot and approached Zuko. "Your name?" she asked for the second time. Zuko remembered Gansu's advice about using a false name when the need arises. He smiled under the faceplate.

"Lee," he stated, remembering the small boy. Azula showed no reaction to his words, but simply reached her hand out below Zuko's faceplate.

"Remove it," she commanded. Zuko froze. Had she realized that he wasn't one of their soldiers? Had he wrecked everything he promised to Katara in that split second? Was she going to kill him? He inclined his head and slowly raised a hand to his face. He would have to try and grab Katara and run. Something. He refused to die here. Zuko grabbed the bottom of the mask and pulled it down, revealing his face to the princess. Her expression didn't change the slightest; she simply stared at him, and took the white mask from his hands. "Younger than I thought," she remarked, while swiftly throwing the faceplate into the ocean. "But no matter. Lee, from today, I appoint you as the new lieutenant of the firebending infantry on this ship." Zuko was surprised at her words and frowned. Azula paused, noting his reaction before continuing. "Your predecessor failed to carry out my orders properly... and met an unfortunate end. Do not fail me, Lee." Her voice was icy and dangerous.

Zuko wanted to back up yell in frustration, things were too sudden. _What's going on? Didn't she notice I wasn't part of her team? Is she overlooking it? No, she was definitely not the type. Then does she not realize…? _Azula turned on her heals and began to walk to the large double doors. "Report to my room at sunset." And with that, the fire nation princess walked forward and disappeared behind the doors.

After her exit, there was a sudden mass of groans from the men who were knocked down. The ones who weren't fatally injured pushed themselves up and stared at Zuko. None of them decided to say anything, they only picked up the other fallen soldiers and started to walk out of the deck. Where was Katara? He had lost her during the sudden fight. Was she blasted overboard from an impact? He began to panic, and his heart thundered against his chest. Almost all the soldiers had limped, or carried along past Zuko, only giving him a small glance. Suddenly, he felt a small jab in his back. He reflexively turned and came face to face with another soldier, with a mark on the mask.

"Ka—" he began to say. Her hand quickly shot up and covered his mouth, stopping his words. He stared wide-eyed at the girl, the feeling of relief flowing throughout his tense body.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Zuko nodded at her. His heart still pounded and he was out of breath, but he was grateful Katara was still with him. "We should follow them," she said. Her voice was almost completely drowned out; he could barely make out what she was saying. But he nodded and followed the last couple of soldiers off the deck.

Zuko never got the chance to appreciate the inside of the ship on his hurried trip with Katara. But following after slow, staggering soldiers, he got a clear view of the rooms. After stepping downstairs, they passes by what seemed like a nursery. Injured soldiers were set down on a cot and the ones that could still walk, continued down the hallway. They walked into a vast room that seemed to take up the entire floor of the ship. It seemed way to big to house only the few dozen soldiers that walked in. Thin blankets were sprawled over the metal floor. After Zuko and Katara walked in, the heavy metal door automatically shut behind them.

Suddenly, there was unexpected cheerful holler from the soldiers and they ran up to Zuko.

"Wow, sir, I've never seen you before, but what you did back there was awesome!"

"Seriously, I don't think princess Azula has ever been pushed back like that."

Soldier after soldier, they came up and complimented him, a few roughly shaking hands. Zuko nodded and gave them a weak smile. They had removed their masks as well, and Zuko was shocked to see many of them were his age, or slightly older. There were a few with baby faces that he thought were younger. He looked over at Katara who still hadn't removed her mask yet. Even if she pulled her hair back, he thought her face was too strikingly beautiful to be mistaken for a man's. Plus, her tan skin combined with her brilliant blue eyes would stand out too much. But none of the soldiers seemed to question her stand still. They shuffled away, spreading out on the floor, massaging their arms and legs.

"She's seriously crazy..." said one man. "Just because the other team failed, she puts her anger on us. I don't know how many more tantrums I can live through." The other men silently nodded at his words.

_That's why she attacked? _He couldn't believe it. He was wondering why she was attacking her own soldiers with such killing intent. But then again, she did kill the chubby captain without warning or emotion.

He glanced over at Katara, and motioned for her to follow him out. They pulled open the door and stepped out into the hallway. There were two stairwells at the each end of the hall, their path lit by flaming torches. They silently walked down to the lower level until they reached the dark, crate filled room. Once arrived, Zuko lit a fire in his palm and checked that their equipment was still there and finally let out a sigh of relief. Katara started to remove her armor, gently lowering them down at her feet.

"Katara," Zuko called, promptly spinning to face her and grasping the sides of her face. "Are you okay? Hurt? Burned?" He looked over her startled face, and craned her face to check her neck.

"Z-Zuko," she stammered, trying to pull her face back. "I'm okay! Really!" He felt her hands fumble with his in the darkness. He breathed out and gently slid his hands off her face.

"What happened during the fight? I thought you had been hit…" he said, igniting a fire again. She shook her head and readjusted her clothes. She sat down, leaning against the crates, and motioned for Zuko to sit.

"Those guys aren't normal soldiers, Zuko," she replied, as he situated himself on the cold floor. "They're all firebenders. I thought it would looks suspicious if I didn't fire bend during the fight, so I pretended to be blown away with the first hit." He nodded understandingly. That was true. The normal soldiers didn't have their face masked and their armor was lighter. "What about you?" she asked. "I thought you…"

He looked down at his chest plate. Azula's hands had melted through the bottom half, the print of her fists still evident. "Don't worry about it, it just looks—Ow!" Zuko attempted to turn his torso and lift the armor off, and growled when a sudden stinging pain shot below his ribs. The small fire disappeared from his palm and they were surrounded by darkness again.

"Oh my god, you _were_ injured," she frantically whispered. He felt her hands reach out to his abdomen and feel for his chest plate.

"Arrhg—" he cursed again when her hand brushed over his damaged skin.

"Sorry!" she quickly apologized. Zuko lifted his hand again and called for fire. Their surrounding glowed a light orange, and Katara finally found the straps that held his chest plate down. She quickly pulled them apart and pulled the ruined chunk of metal off his chest. Why hadn't he felt the pain before? Now that he was aware of his injury, it seemed to burn with every passing second.

"I need water," spluttered Katara. "Water, water…" she muttered shifting around.

"Katara…" he croaked out. She seemed too frantic to listen. Katara hurriedly pulled her armor back on and stumbled towards the door. "I'll be back! I need water, don't move, Zuko." She called before darting out of the room. His face twisted in pain, unable to stop her from leaving. The burn stung harshly, and every breath pulled on the skin, making it difficult for him to breathe. Just how scorching was her fire? Zuko was amazed yet frustrated with the height of princess Azula's power. The fire in his palm blazed wildly with his control lagging.

His view of princesses had completely changed. He had originally thought they were treasured young girls, who looked pretty, and were quiet. Princess Azula was nothing like that. He remembered her cold, calculating eyes—something he wished never to face again. Her precise and rapid movements combined with her blue firebending were absolutely terrifying. He would have never thought he would be working under a princess one day, much less meet one.

The pain around his abdomen was starting to get worse. He couldn't think clearly anymore. Where was Katara? Was she okay? He wanted to hold her face again; it seemed to fit perfectly between his hands. His breathing became shallow as he tried not to think about his injury. She was late. Every passing second felt like an eternity he had to endure in agony. He blinked hard, trying not to lose consciousness.

"Zuko!" a voice shouted. He could barely lift his head to the sound. Quick footsteps approached where he sat, and a pair of cool hands touched the sides of his face. "Stay awake!" she called out to him. He let out a low groan to let her know he was still there. She hurriedly threw the helmet off as it was partially blocking her vision. Katara slowly pushed him to the side, forcing him to lie back on the cold ground. She fumbled with the bindings on his robe and finally, pulled them apart. He heard her gasp.

"This is awful," she choked. There was a moment of scuffling and something dragging across the floor. Then, a sudden wave of relief and a cooling sensation replaced the stinging pain. His whole body seemed to feel lighter and relaxed. The familiar light blue glow from the water illuminated the room. The fire from his hand disappeared Zuko could finally breathe again. He let out a heavy breath, but felt no pain from his burns. The glow lightened Katara's face, and he could see her concentrating heavily on his wound. He had relied on Katara again… when was he ever going to pay her back? Before he knew it, they had spiraled into a crazy mission to save her brother, sneaking onto a fire nation ship, and battled with the princess.

Zuko was slowly starting to drift off. After his breathing stabilized, and the pain from his body receded He wanted to sleep. There was a nice feeling around his chest and he didn't want to move. He heard faint noises that seemed to get louder and closer every second. Someone was breathing heavily, quietly gasping above him.

_Katara._

Zuko quickly pulled his eyes open forced himself awake. Katara's face was beaded with sweat, she was breathing hard, and her hands trembled above his chest. He abruptly pushed himself up and grabbed her hands. The water dropped to the ground with a splash.

"Katara!" he cried. "Are you okay? What…?" Although he couldn't see her face completely in the darkness, he could hear that she was exhausted.

"You weren't… waking up," she muttered. "So I thought…I was doing something wrong. I thought… like Sokka…" Her voice started to crack. Zuko couldn't believe it. He ran his hand over his abdomen and felt no pain. It felt completely smooth and normal, as if nothing had happened. Amazing. His entire body felt restored, even the soreness from the mountain journey seemed to have faded. Katara breathed hard next to him, looking down.

She had never been strong and okay with the situation in the first place. He figured she didn't like showing worry, or her discomfort incase it burdened someone else. She was scared he would be taken, like Sokka. Before pulling his robe back on, Zuko swung his arm over Katara's neck and brought her in an crushing hug. He felt her cheek squish against his chest muscles, but she made no move to pull back.

"Sorry," he whispered. "But I'm okay now, I'm not going anywhere, Katara." He pulled his other arm over her and started to pat her back. "I'm not going to leave you here by yourself. Never." Katara let out a couple deep sighs and nodded against his shoulder. Her body slowly stopped shaking. "I promised I would protect you, so trust me… Don't hold everything in."

Zuko felt water trickle down his chest—no, tears. Katara cried silently against him, sniffling every few seconds. He pulled his hand up to her cheek and gently wiped away the tears that stained her usual happy face. Of course she was stressed about losing Sokka. The poor girl had to infiltrate a fire nation ship that wants to capture her for unknown reasons when they have her brother. No girl would be fine under these circumstances. Zuko held her close, resting his chin on top of her head and swore he would protect her, no matter what.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set. It was completely dark inside the bottom floor, but Zuko could feel the sun's energy slowly fade away. Katara had fallen asleep on him, but he was glad she could trust him enough to do so. He didn't want to wake her up, but he also didn't want to leave her alone. Zuko silently groaned. He wished the princess hadn't called him at all. But he had a feeling that if he were late, there would be dire consequences. Zuko gently lifted her off and set her against one of the crates. She didn't stir, so he guessed that she wouldn't wake up in the short time he was gone. _Such a deep sleeper, how cute. _He smiled to himself, and picked up his broken armor. He quickly tied his robe, situated the metal plates over his body, and started to walk towards the door.

"I'll be right back," he spoke quietly to Katara, and ran back up the stairs as fast as he could.

The wind blew strongly against him on the deck. He walked up to the large double doors, took a deep breath and knocked. The doors opened for him almost automatically, causing Zuko to step back in surprise. Two maids stood at each door and gestured him in. He cautiously stepped in and almost gasped. The room was immense; the interior was decorated with red and gold intricate designs trailing on the walls. The entire room didn't seem to fit in with the rest of ship. A long table was set in the middle of the room, with many beautiful chairs around it. Suddenly, a door from the back wall opened, and Azula emerged from the hidden room. Her burnt clothes and arm guards had been replaced, making her seem wholesome and defined. She looked almost surprised to see Zuko there, but settled for an emotionless stare.

"Lee," she camly stated, as the double doors slammed shut behind him.

* * *

A/N: A sudden ending! Sorry for cutting it off so abruptly, the chapter was going to be too long if I ended it at the point I wanted it to. But I'm pretty happy with the content of the chapter. Katara and Zuko finally had some lovely moments in a dark room all by themselves. Heh. It was pretty fun to write, I have to say.  
I had to do some extra research on the degree of burns and incase you guys wanted to know, Zuko received a third degree burn (or something of the sort). The reason why he didn't feel his injury at first because the nerve cells were burned and damaged, making the pain receptors malfunction. The actual pain was from around the main area of injury, where the nerve cells were still intact. Also, it's really difficult to completely burn bones to ashes, but I wanted to emphasize Azula's strength, and the heat of her fire, so the poor interrupting advisor was the sacrifice. (Yay for science).

See you guys soon! Review! (:


	12. Second Impressions

Chapter 12: Second Impressions

* * *

Zuko gave a respectful bow to Azula. She walked over to the large table and sat down near the front.

"So you made it here," she simply stated. Zuko didn't understand. Why wouldn't he? With a wave of her hand, an older man stepped forward at her call. "Fix him." The man walked over to Zuko and began to strap his armor off. After setting the broken chest plate on the table, the man froze.

"Princess," the man said quietly. "This man has no injuries." She shot a confused gaze at the man, then at Zuko and frowned.

"Impossible," she murmured. "I was sure I had hit you." She stood up immediately and quickly walked towards Zuko. Without warning, she yanked open his robe and deepened her frown. Now that he saw his body in brighter light, Zuko also was amazed at the healing job Katara had done. His alabaster skin had mended perfectly, no sign of burns or bruises remained.

Azula continued to stare down at his body, and turned to the man again. "Did he stop by for treatment?" The man shook his head and stepped back. "Princess," he replied. "If the injury was as grievous as you had said, even if he did come by, I would not have been able to heal it completely by this time."

Her eyes flashed dangerously and peered down at the man. "Are you suggesting that I was wrong?" The man's eyes grew wide and bowed lower. "O-Of course not, princess." She stood still and the silence pierced the air.

"P-Princess," the man stuttered. She swiftly raised her hand to stop his words. "Enough," she commanded. "I will sort this myself. You may leave." At her comment, he bowed briskly and walked out of the room. Without another word, Azula turned and returned to her seat. She gestured for him to sit down. Not wanting to feel awkwardly exposed any longer, Zuko quickly retied his robes together and sat at the other end of the table.

"You didn't go to get treated?" she asked in disbelief.

"No, princess," Zuko replied honestly. Technically, he did get healed, but not by the male doctor from before. He figured that man couldn't come close to what Katara had done in an entire day.

"So then, you were not injured?" she asked again.

"Yes… princess," he answered slowly. Heck—injured was a serious understatement—he was almost burned to death. But Zuko didn't know if she would buy it. Her eyes narrowed at him, studying his face for any sign of that would betray his words. After a moment of silence and staring, she gave a small nod and seemed to move on.

"Lee," she started. "Your job is very simple. You will lead the other soldiers on this ship, and report back to me at sunset." Zuko nodded. Wondering how many other men before him heard those words. She paused and stared at him. "You take orders from me, and no one else." She continued, "I do not know why you were hiding your strength this entire time, but that is not my highest concern."

Zuko sat at the other end, nodding at her words and keeping his head lowered. He wanted to go back to Katara, but he knew their talk could be an opportunity to find out information. With another wave of her hand, a maid approached the table with clean armor hanging over her arms. "Change quickly and follow me," she commanded. Zuko quickly took the armor from the girl's arms and hurriedly strapped them on, removing his previously stolen, now damaged one. The metal felt considerably lighter and than the one before, and the design was somehow different. There was no helmet or faceplate with the set. Azula began to walk out, and Zuko scurried on after her.

They began walking downstairs in silence, and Zuko was starting to feel nervous. They were walking closer and closer towards where Katara was. He remembered there was no other room on the bottom floor except the one they were currently occupying. Azula continued to descend down to the stairs. There was no doubt—she was headed for the bottom floor.

Zuko had to stop her somehow. He couldn't let her find Katara. Just as he was about to shout out to her, she stopped suddenly against a wall and almost ran into her. Katara was practically sleeping—or as Zuko hoped—in the other room twenty feet down the hall, but Azula looked towards the dead end.

"Stand back," she said quietly. Zuko instinctively stepped back. She took a few breaths and punched a stream of fire from both fists into the corners of the wall. The fire slowly began to spread down the wall, turning randomly, and twisting throughout the wall. No, it wasn't random at all. As the fire continued down the wall, it began to make an image. After the two lines of fire connected, Zuko realized what it was—the fire nation symbol. The sign burned a scorching blue and suddenly the metal wall trembled. It shook and began to open at the center. Zuko almost dropped his jaw in surprise; it was a hidden room.

Azula stepped inside, and Zuko cautiously followed. The door shut automatically behind him. The room was bare, nothing but metal walls surrounded the small place. Small torches were hung on the walls, illuminating the room a deep orange. Zuko laid eyes on a large man lying on the ground at the end of the room, with his head hanging down. Thick shackles held down his wrists and ankles. Azula gestured to the man, "This is the man from our recent mission, and as you heard, it was a failure." Zuko simply nodded, not exactly knowing what she was talking about. "You will come here everyday to interrogate him. We are searching for his sister." Zuko's heart stopped. The man's figure had looked familiar, and her words began to click pieces together in his mind.

"His sister?" Zuko asked, trying to mask the nervousness in his voice. "If I may ask for clarification, princess, why are we searching for his sister?" Azula stared back at him and paused. Zuko wondered if he had overstepped his boundaries. The silence had begun to drag on until she started to walk back to the door.

"Fire Lord's orders," she finally replied. She seemed to scowl at her own words. "I do not know the details myself, but she is believed to be a key element to win the war." Zuko was in disbelief. They couldn't be thinking about the same people. No way. She stepped towards the door and released a stream of blue fire; the metal complied and opened. "Wake him. Report to me any useful information. Lastly, that man is quite stubborn. Use force if necessary, but _do not _kill him," she emphasized. "You may return to your floor afterwards." Zuko stood there speechless as the princess walked out of the room and the metal wall shut behind her.

Zuko stood facing the hidden door in silence. After a moment, he figured she wouldn't be returning and quickly spun around to wake the man. He secretly hoped it wasn't him. He crouched in front of the man and shook his shoulder.

"Hey…" he muttered. The man didn't stir. Zuko blinked in anticipation and leaned closer. "Sokka?" he called out louder. The man shifted and groaned, surprising Zuko. He slowly lifted his head and strained his eyes, a deep scowl pressed in his forehead.

_It was Sokka. _

"Sokka! It's me, Zuko," he spluttered. Now that Zuko got a close look at Sokka's face, his stomach twisted in guilt. His eyes were shaded a dark blue, swollen and puffy. Large cuts decorated his face. The blood had dried and cracked his skin. His beard stubble and hair was singed, obviously burned from firebenders.

"Y-You," he croaked. His eyes seem to widen in surprise. "What are you—" He stopped his words and stared at Zuko's armor. His mouth slowly dropped open. "Bastard… so all along, you were with her." He snarled. "Damn, you little—"

"Wait, _what?_" Zuko interrupted. He looked down at his armor and understood. "Wait, Sokka, don't misunderstand." He raised his hands in front of him. "Katara and I came to save you, and infilt—"

"You did _what_?" Sokka growled. "You brought Katara _here_?" He tired to push himself up, but staggered. He cursed in pain. "You ignorant little—I told you to protect her! Not bring her to her death!" He shouted at Zuko. Sokka's voice was thick with exhaustion, and rasped with every breath.

Zuko didn't respond. How could he say anything to Sokka like this? He averted his eyes away from Sokka's glare, like a child getting scolded from his parent. The silence settled in the air, similarly to the first time they ever talked.

"You brought her here?" Sokka again asked quietly. Not wanting to believe what he was about to hear.

"Yeah…" Zuko murmured.

"On this ship?"

"Yeah…"

Sokka let out a deep sigh and shook his head slowly. He continued to give Zuko a cold glare.

"Sokka, I had too." Zuko started, trying to reason with the exhausted man in front of him. "You were taken, and Katara was seriously distraught with guilt, and I promised I would help her find you…"

"Idiot…" he muttered venomously. He paused, shifting his gaze and closing his eyes in denial. "Is… she safe?" he asked.

"Yes," responded Zuko. " And I will make sure it stays that way." Sokka opened his eyes again and started at Zuko.

"Don't tell her I'm here," he requested. "In fact, get her out of here _now._" Zuko frowned, taken aback by his demand.

"I can't, we came here to take you back," Zuko argued. "Katara would be furious with me… Besides, we're in the middle of the ocean, we can't exactly walk off." Sokka sighed angrily, obviously not amused with Zuko's comeback.

"Don't tell her," he repeated. "Knowing her, she'll try to be self-sacrificing and die trying to get me out." He slowly shook his head in frustration. With that, Zuko actually agreed. He had figured out Katara 's kind soul would put her in situations where she could be hurt. He couldn't allow that, he wouldn't. He bit on his lower lip and nodded his head in silence.

"What… happened after I was taken?" Sokka hesitantly asked. Zuko shot his gaze back to Sokka and remembered what happened.

"She…" started Zuko. "I don't even know. She seemed to be in some trance like state. She somehow killed all the soldiers without her waterbending… and I swear her eyes glowed red… I know this sounds unbelievable—"

"No," Sokka cut in. "I believe you." He replied dully. His eyes seemed unfocused and sighed.

"You… do?" Zuko inquired. Something had clicked in his head. Zuko leaned back wide-eyed. His circumstance with Katara was seriously out of the ordinary. Why the fire nation wanted Katara, why she seemed to be a different person—this man in front of him had the answers. "Sokka," he spoke firmly. "Please tell me what's going on. I know that you know."

Sokka eyes hardened at his words and his scowl settled over his face again. "Don't misunderstand, Zuko. I don't trust you. Everything that you are fits perfectly with _them._" He snarled.

Zuko's jaw almost dropped. "You… think I'm a fire nation spy?" he almost yelled. "Sokka, I swear, this is the first time I'm even meeting them! In fact, I've never even been to the fire nation!"

Sokka shook his head and closed his eyes, refusing to look at Zuko anymore. His mouth hardened into a tight line. But Zuko wouldn't let this pass. He couldn't leave this room knowing that Sokka was convinced he was a fire nation spy.

"If I was a spy, why would I save Katara? Why would we come to rescue you?" Zuko argued. His first motive to question Sokka was all gone now. "I don't know what you're thinking, but I'm not working for them."

"Get out of here," Sokka muttered, still looking down. Zuko's anger began to rise. Angry that people were leaving him in the dark. Angry that he didn't know how to protect Katara. Angry that his uncle was gone. Angry that he was thrown into this crazy situation. The flaming torches in the room responded to his anger, and started to flare wildly. His body began to feel hot, and he found the urge to release the flame from his fists.

"I'll prove it to you," Zuko replied quietly, trying to concentrate on his breathing and clam himself down. "If you don't believe me, I'll prove to you that I'm not a spy." Sokka opened his eyes and looked up at Zuko. His frown still deeply etched into his forehead. "Besides, it's now my new job to come and talk to you. So I'll be back tomorrow." He spat bitterly.

With that, Zuko turned on his heel and walked away from Sokka. Before his anger could fully subside, he shot roaring flames at the wall just as he saw Azula do before. The fire nation symbol appeared with his fire, and the door complied with Zuko's demand. Before leaving, he quickly grabbed a torch from the wall and stepped out.

As Zuko walked down the hallway, he heard the wall shut again. All the doors here seemed to shut by themselves. He continued to walk straight into the crate room where Katara was. He felt eager to see her. Yet guilt hit at his heart every time he thought of Sokka. His steps quickened as he approached her, hoping that she was still asleep.

Katara was sitting exactly where Zuko had left her. Her head tilted to the side of her shoulder from the lack of support. Zuko let out a sigh of relief, and the weight on his shoulders seemed to lift. He attached the torch against the wall, thankful that they finally had a light source without his bending.

He sighed again and began to strip off his armor. He sat down next to Katara and almost yelped. The metal floor was freezing cold. Heck—he wondered how Katara was able to sleep. He looked over at her and almost smacked himself in the face. She was shivering. Her hands shook the slightest, and a small frown pressed in her forehead. Zuko mentally hit himself for not noticing before.

He quickly untied his top robe and threw it over Katara's legs. It was cold, but manageable. He secretly thanked the princess for giving him a change of clothes.

Before he could think through it, Zuko gently moved Katara forward, and situated himself behind her back. He blushed, feeling blood rush to his face at their position. _It's necessary! I can transfer my body heat to her. She'll understand… _Zuko muttered to himself. Taking a deep breath he pressed his hands against her back while her body slumped against his chest.

* * *

"_Nephew, do you know why fire is the only element that benders can generate without an outside source?"_

"_I'm not sure," he replied, still breathing hard. "But when I bend… it's almost like it's from a part of my body." Zuko pulled his fingers into a fist, concentrating on his hands. He had been training with his uncle the entire morning, taking a few breaks from time to time. _

"_Fire is an element of power and passion." Iroh replied. "It is fueled by your internal body heat and your inner fire." He closed his eyes, feeling the cool evening wind. "Whether you desire to protect… or to destroy. Fire will comply with your emotions, which is why it is important to control yourself." _

_Zuko nodded slowly in understanding. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing again._

* * *

Zuko shut his eyes and focused. He clamed his breathing and concentrated on himself. He could feel the energy circulate throughout his body, fluctuating every time he wavered. His inner fire blazed calmly. He traveled throughout every limb, and out his fingers, which was resting on Katara's upper back.

He willed his inner fire to burn higher and his body began to heat up. The heat from his body was released from his hands and onto Katara. Zuko had to be extra careful to avoid giving her a forced fever. After a minute, her body became still and her breathing returned to normal. He continued to breathe steadily, feeling the energy in Katara's body even out.

A forceful blast of energy suddenly shook Zuko from his concentration, impelling him to yelp in shock and open his eyes. Katara's body was abruptly pulled forward from his hold. She groaned quietly and slowly turned her head around.

"Zuko…?" she murmured, turning her unfocused face to meet his. A dark red color receded from her eyes.

* * *

A/N: Surprised? I updated within a week this time! :D Hope you guys had a good week.  
hmm.. so Katara is some kind of war potential. Hehehe I'm so excited for the upcoming chapters when the truth is revealed... I'll be careful not to rush it.  
And on an unfortunate note, I broke my finger yesterday, so there's a possibility that a new chapter won't be coming next week... typing with one hand is so frustrating. But don't lose hope on me!

See you guys, hopefully soon! Please review! :)


	13. Strength of a Waterbender

Chapter 13: Strength of a Waterbender

* * *

After crying her heart out bitterly, Katara thought she was ready for anything—that is, until she woke up next to a half naked Zuko. She wasn't ready for that one.

"Zuko?" she repeated, blinking her eyes in disbelief. She sat with her back towards him. He was leaning against a crate with his hands up in front of him, looking equally surprised.

"Uh…" he stammered. "This… isn't what it looks like." Zuko looked down at his bare chest, obviously not convinced with his own words. Katara stared at him. She didn't know what to say. "I-I was just trying to help you warm up—" his eyes grew wide and he stuttered again. "N-Not like that! Through transferring body heat! —I mean with my chi flow—" Zuko coughed awkwardly and covered his face with his hands. He groaned silently and peeked at her from in between his fingers. "I'm sorry." He mumbled.

Katara almost laughed at his awkwardness, but she was equally surprised with the sudden situation. As much as he stammered, she knew Zuko had good intentions. She shifted her body to face him and looked down. A large robe was draped over her legs. Katara let out a small laugh.

"Don't apologize," she replied, sliding the robe off her legs and draping it over her shoulders. "So… decided you didn't need a shirt?" she teasingly asked with a knowing smile. Zuko kept his hands on his face and lowered his face. She knew he was blushing. Heck—she was almost blushing. Zuko was _cut. _Even though he sat down, his perfectly shaped abdomen muscles peeked out at her. His chest and arm muscles pressed tightly together. She wondered how he was able to pull his arms so close to each other. Just what had he been doing to get himself that fit? Katara took this as a chance to secretly admire his body while he looked away.

She smiled and tossed his robe back to him. "I know you didn't mean any harm, Zuko. Don't worry." He took a quick breath, pulled his robe back on and glanced back at her.

"You're… uh, not cold anymore?" he asked quietly. His face was still slightly pink. She quickly shook her head and smiled at him. "Not anymore, no. Thanks to you."

Zuko nodded once, as he finished tying his robe together. "Then… are you feeling okay?" Katara almost gasped. She had completely forgotten her dream thanks to the big distraction that was Zuko.

"It's a full moon today, isn't it?" she cautiously asked.

"You're right… it is." He slowly confirmed, confused at the sudden change in topic.

"Er, well…" she started. "I know it sounds crazy, but every night of the full moon, I have this dream... The same one, every time."

"Okay," he responded, a small frown forming between his brows. Katara braced herself with the words she needed to explain with.

"Well, it was different tonight. Strange," she stammered. "I know this doesn't sound like a big deal but it just felt so real this time. As if this heavy feeling pressed on me in reality…"

"Tell me about your usual dream," he questioned. Katara looked up to see Zuko's face completely free of disbelief or laughter. He was taking her seriously. She smiled and let out a sigh of relief.

She could have smiled and looked at Zuko's face all night. He was exceptionally handsome, especially with the orange glow from the fire bouncing off his face. It made his eyes glow even more brightly than usual. His scar added the perfect character for him; it was something she honestly liked. Katara cleared her throat before looking away from his face.

She remembered the dreams as if it were a part of her own memory.

"Well, it always starts off at this enormous castle," she began to fidget with her fingers. "Lots of people are fighting each other and the castle erupts into flames. I'm walking through the castle walls when I come into an empty room. It's always the same beautiful room, but once I walk in, I feel my heart breaking…" She paused, closing her eyes and recalling the feeling. "I feel absolute anguish, hopelessness, and devastation… as if I had lost everything that was important to me." Her voice quieted. "And every time, I just wake up crying... Every night on the full moon this dream comes to me, and the feelings always seem to hit me anew."

Katara stopped speaking and looked back at Zuko. He seemed to be listening intently, absorbing every word she spoke. "And tonight?" he asked softly. Katara smiled, remembering her dream tonight.

"I was walking through this dark underground tunnel," she explained. "And there, I meet this girl. I remember she had the same golden eyes like you do. But, when I saw her, I felt… happy. This warm feeling began to spread through my body. It was like I was being pulled towards her." Katara quietly trailed off, letting the silence settle in between them. "After, I felt this strong force shake me to wake up…" Katara slowly shook her head at her own words. This was unbelievable; Zuko must think she was crazy.

"Katara…" he quietly called. She perked up at his voice. He paused and seemed hesitant to say anything. "Did… uh, anything unusual happen in the past?" He cleared his throat again. "I mean—like situations like this—"

Katara's face darkened. She looked down at her hands and sighed quietly. "I… when I was 5, Sokka told me that our parents died in some crazy accident. And we couldn't go back to our homeland because of it…" A frown appeared on her face as she thought about his words. "But he won't tell me about it—no, it's more that I can't bear to ask him. Every time I bring it up, he just looks so pained…"

"Which is why you keep moving?" he faintly asked. Katara nodded her head.

"But…" she began. "The weird thing is, I just feel like we're running away from something." She let out a frustrated sigh. "There's times when we had to leave in the middle of the night, or camp out in deserted places. I can't even argue with him anymore."

Zuko sat there silently, watching her. She knew he wasn't good with emotional demanding situations, but she felt strangely comforted by his presence.

"I'm sorry," he finally said. "It… must have been hard on you." Katara nodded, and slightly smiled.

"What about you?" She asked. Even though she's been with Zuko all this time, it felt like she didn't know anything about him at all. She turned her body to face him.

"Well," he said. "I lost my parents to a fire incident when I was 2… which is also where I got this." He pointed to his scar with his thumb. "But I've been with my uncle ever since. He's like my father, really…" Zuko trailed off.

"I'm sorry about your uncle," Katara whispered. He shook his head and looked back up at her.

"No, I'm sorry about Sokka," he responded. "We'll get him back and get out of here soon." Katara almost sighed in depression with her brother's situation.

"Do you think he's here?" she mumbled. Katara was honestly lost. She had no idea what she was going to do from now own. Everything had happened so quickly. She could never forget the soldier's snarling words in the mountains. _Hand over the girl. _

She shuddered. What did they want with her? Guilt burned holes in her stomach. She silently groaned and closed her eyes. Sokka… she knew they would use him against her. And as mush as she wanted to be strong, she knew it would work. There were blanks in her memory, and Katara felt overwhelmed.

"We'll find him," Zuko replied. She flipped her face back to look at his. He seemed troubled and hesitant. Katara simply nodded, glad for his words. _I wonder what he's thinking about. Does he feel burdened because he has to always look out for me? _She gritted her teeth and frowned. _No, not again. I won't be a baggage he has to carry around. I need to take my problems into my own hands. _

Katara took a deep breath and pulled herself into a more comfortable position. "Thanks, Zuko," she murmured. He gave her a small smile. "You should get some sleep."

She nodded at him and closed her eyes, feeling the steady rocking of the ship.

Katara waited.

The waves seem to call out to her and the moon filled her with nostalgic energy. She was going to take action tonight. She slowly opened her eyes to see Zuko in front of her. His breathing was steady, and his chest elevated slightly with every breath. She continued listening until she heard a quiet sound of swirling water. No, not water. It seemed much thicker, and came with a soft thump. Katara's eyes grew wide.

It was Zuko's heartbeat. Was this even possible? Why hadn't she ever noticed it before? She shut her eyes and listened intently. His blood flow felt real, tangible, as if she could command it like water. Katara almost slapped herself. How could she ever think of something like that? It was immoral. Impossible. She would never want to do something like that. The mere thought of it was ridiculous.

Before Katara's thoughts could give her any more bad ideas, she quietly rose from her seat, careful to not wake Zuko. She strapped on her armor and slid her faceplate into the helmet. The full moon filled her with wild power, waiting to be released. This kind of opportunity wouldn't come for another month. She took a deep breath and steadied herself. It was midnight; she would only have a few hours to roam before the sun came up.

She quietly walked out of the room and began to walk upstairs. A few men were situated in the hallway, staying guard. As she walked closer, she noticed their eyes were closed, sleeping. Katara almost rolled her eyes, so much for looking out.

There were empty rooms throughout the hall with small cots that looked unoccupied for some time. Where was Sokka? She was almost sure he was taken on the ship. Blades of guilt continued to stab at her heart as she walked by empty rooms. Katara sighed inwardly and momentarily stopped her search. According to what she knew, there were three floors to the ship, the deck, the middle floor with all the other soldiers, and the bottom floor with the crates. Was there something she missed? It felt as if she had checked every room in the ship. Her disappointment and anxiety increased with every empty room she passed by.

She continued to walk upstairs until she stepped onto the deck. The icy air blew against her heavily. If it weren't for her armor weighing her down, the sudden pressure would have thrown her back.

"Hey," someone called out. Katara instinctively turned around and raised her arms to prepare for an attack. "Whoa! Hold on." Another soldier stepped back in surprise. Katara recognized him as the baby-faced soldier that she and Zuko first met.

"What is it?" she asked. Her voice vibrated quietly through her helmet. The man slowly scratched his head and laughed weakly.

"I just didn't know you guys also guard at night," he said slowly. Katara stood there quietly, looking at the man. It had hit her. There were two types of soldiers on board, the firebenders and the regular soldiers, easily distinguishable with the difference in armor. She cursed silently, just her luck.

"Special orders," she dully replied. When did she get so good at acting? The man pursed his lips and nodded.

"Makes sense. We probably need the extra watch because of the prisoner." Katara's eyes widened at the statement. She breathed carefully and steadied herself before speaking impulsively.

"Yeah," she replied smoothly. Could he be talking about Sokka? It seemed unmistakable. "Where'd they put him anyways? I haven't seen him around."

The man nodded and let out a nervous laugh. "Well," he said, lowering his voice. "From what I've heard, Princess Azula put him in a secret compartment of the ship that can only be opened with powerful firebending."

She frowned behind the helmet. Of course, they wouldn't just leave him out in the open rooms. But the firebending would be a problem, how was she going to get to him? She began to chew on her bottom lip and contemplated before speaking. "Really? Did you get to see it?"

Disappointment ran across his face as his mouth turned to a small frown. "Nah… we don't get to do stuff like that." He paused before smirking, "Well, it's not like he's going to get away, being all weak and beaten up."

Katara felt her rage build up insider her. She clenched her jaw and steeled her eyes, thankful that her faceplate covered her. _Don't hurt him. Don't hurt him. You'll blow the cover. Just keep walking on. _She nodded curtly and tried to walk past him.

"Ah, wait!" he suddenly yelled and threw out his arm in front of her. His arm guard caught under the hook of her mask. Katara quietly cursed as she felt the faceplate loosen and slip out from the lock of her helmet. The plate plummeted to the metal deck with a loud crash. Katara froze.

"Oh man—I'm so sorry," he stuttered, quickly bending down and picking up the white mask. He lifted his gaze back to Katara's face and froze, wide eyed. "D-Dude… what's up with your eyes…?"

It was now or never. Apologizing under her breath, Katara quickly called a stream of ocean water to the palm of her hand, and shot it at the soldier's mouth, freezing it around his head. The water seemed to obey and move fluidly through the air, smoother than anytime Katara had bended before.

"Mmmmhhmm!" he uselessly cried at the sudden impact. He jumped back at stared wide eyed at Katara. She could hear his heart beat frantically against his chest.

"Sorry," she whispered. A wave of water crashed down on the soldier, forming an orb of water around him. She extended out her hands, commanding the water to lift the soldier from the deck and move him overboard. Had bending always been this easy? Even with the vast amount of water she suspended in the air, she still felt full of energy. Katara rapidly solidified the water with a clamp of her hand, and dropped the large ice ball into the ocean. It broke into the surface with a loud crash. The ship moved faster than Katara had thought, and left behind the unlucky soldier in the ocean depths.

Heavy footsteps and distant shouts quickly approached her location. Katara quickly snapped back to reality, grabbed her faceplate from the floor and nimbly sprinted off the deck. She grumbled to herself. _Great job, Katara, just making more problems than actually helping._

"What was that?" a voice shouted.

"It might be an intruder! Report to the princess!"

"Who was assigned to guard the deck?"

"There's no one here!"

Another scurry of footsteps echoed throughout ship. Katara stood silent on the other side of the deck hidden against the shadows. Informing the princess would be bad. She witnessed Princess Azula's skills, and no matter how much she wanted to deny it, the princess was incredibly gifted in firebending.

Before Katara could move, she heard the sound again. The sound of their heartbeats. She recognized and found the flow of blood the same way she located rivers and streams in the mountain. The ability felt innate. The noise seemed to grow closer and amplify towards her location. One of the soldiers was coming her way. Katara braced herself to attack. She couldn't allow them to reach the princess; it would only bring more trouble.

As he approached, she quickly stepped out from the shadows and shot a stream of salt water on the soldier's face, freezing it to ice. Before he could reach up to the sudden obstruction on his face, she called a wave of water to crash down on the dock once again, flooding the top floor with an icy wave.

"Wha—" a startled soldier cried out, before getting overrun by a wave of water.

Katara stepped out into the open, where the full moon seemed to illuminate the dock, light bouncing off the metal and the water. There were five soldiers caught in her attack, struggling to stay afloat in their armor. Water poured out from the sides of the ship, as if the entire thing had emerged from the ocean.

"Hey!" a soldier managed to call out to her. "Help!"

Katara raised her hand, eager to seal his mouth.

She felt brutal. When did she start becoming so bloodthirsty to eliminate people? A heavy force seemed to press on her shoulders as she struggled with her sudden emotions. With a frustrated snarl, Katara finally molded the surrounding water into thick ice beams, and thrust them towards the soldiers, knocking them overboard. A line of surprised screams echoed through the night, and splashed down into the ocean.

Katara breathed hard. She felt the frustrated, pent up feelings that seemed to erupt suddenly. What was going on? Her own body seemed uncontrollable. She closed her eyes and breathed. Although she was still full of energy, her body trembled against her will.

The remaining seawater on the deck still stood up to her ankles. Before it could leak anywhere, Katara quickly lifted the layer of water and bended it into the ocean. After briefly inspecting that she left no trace, she bolted towards the stairwell and dashed down the steps.

Her hands trembled against her chest as she descended down the last few steps and into the bottom floor. What was wrong with her? She took a last turn into the back of the room and saw Zuko sitting on the floor.

He was still. Peacefully sleeping against the crates. He must have been seriously tired. Seeing him, Katara dropped to the floor as quietly as possible. She felt breathless and worn out. Nothing seemed to come to her mind. She sat there motionless, until a sharp pain in her head caused her to groan in pain. She strapped off the armor with much difficulty, still trembling as she set them aside.

She slowly settled her face against the cold metal ground, feeling her head throb. Was this a side effect of bending recklessly? It had never been like this when she had exhausted herself before. She felt unusually sick. There was an uncomfortable feeling in the bottom of her stomach, as if she had forgotten something important, but didn't know what it was. Katara hated this unexplainable feeling. Her head continued to pulse painfully as she forced her eyes to shut, and tried to forget about her reality.

* * *

_There was a dark room, barely lit by a small fire. Two men stood against each other, the tension level between them was undoubtedly intense. _

_"Which one is it?" a deep voice demanded._

_"We don't know what you're talking about." The other man responded. "Take your army and leave this place at once!"_

_"You cannot fool me," the first man snarled. "If you care about your tribe, chief Hakoda, give me the child. Now." There was a moment of silence as the second man hesitated with his words. _

_"No one knows. Please, I ask you to call back your soldiers!" _

_Fire suddenly erupted from the first man's fists. His golden eyes gleamed erringly in the darkness, and a wicked smile stretched across his face. "Then you leave me no choice." _

_The room suddenly flared orange, as the fire began to rapidly eat away the surroundings._

_"No!" a woman's voice cried out. "Stop! Don't do this!" Ear shattering screams echoed outside, as the sound of hundreds of footsteps encased them. Many people ran in every direction, trying to avoid the ring of fire that was slowly surrounding them, licking at their skin. It was hot. The air seemed sparse and everything radiated a blazing orange. Screams of agony pierced the usual silence of the night. _

_The world suddenly seemed to go black. A psychotic laugh of the first man resounded through the air as he spoke. "So… it's you!"_

* * *

A/N: Wow, I haven't updated in a long time, my apologies. I finally got the cast off my finger and can actually type without accidentally pressing multiple keys. *sigh*  
For my atonement, I made this chapter about 600 words longer than usual! C: I'm thinking of keeping it at a longer length while updating bi-weekly.  
Anyways, how was Katara's POV? I have to admit, this chapter was really difficult to write while trying not to reveal too much. It'll go back to Zuko's POV next chapter. Speaking of the next chapter... Iroh will be making his appearance! Finally, right? And I know the last part of this chapter was a bit confusing, so to clear things up a little, the italicized part is in Katara's mind. Not another occurrence happening somewhere else.

Don't forget to review! I'll do my best to reply to all the comments and questions as I get them. See you soon (:


	14. Fear Here

Chapter 14: Fear Here

* * *

The sun was rising. Zuko drowsily opened his eyes to the dimly lit room before him. Damn being a firebender—his body had grown accustomed to waking up with the sun. He rubbed his eyes with his palms and yawned. He wished he could go back to sleep.

Katara was still sleeping in front if him stretched out on the metal floor. Her long wavy hair draped over her face, covering it from his view. Zuko felt a frown crease in his forehead as he reached out his hand towards Katara, and gently moved the hair curtaining her face. He felt a small grin tug at the corners of his lips seeing her restful face. She was constantly worrying about Sokka, exhausted from overexertion, or having weird dreams. He wondered if she ever got a good night sleep. Katara suddenly shifted, dragging her knees to her chest while a frown formed between her brows.

_She must be cold. _Zuko remembered the numerous amount of blankets sprawled out for the other soldiers. He needed to stretch and go for a walk anyways. His sore neck and lower back protested his sudden stand up, but after a few stretches and a sigh of relief, Zuko walked towards the stairwell.

He stopped by a room and grabbed a few blankets, sliding them under his arm. As he returned to the bottom floor, he paused, and faced the other side knowing the location of the secret room. Guilt began to eat away his stomach again. He needed to tell Katara. As soon as they got the chance, they had to bust Sokka out and run for their lives. He knew if he fought princess Azula seriously again, he could die for real. Zuko quietly walked back into the room and gently laid the blankets over Katara's body. He would have to do something about the lighting in there. The orange glow was making him constantly sleepy.

He lightly threw on his new armor and decided to head to the deck. He needed to find out where the ship was headed. As he fit the arm guards, he took a last look at Katara's face before heading out.

The sun was still halfway hidden by the ocean line, and gave view to one of the spectacular sunrises he had ever seen. Remembering back, Zuko had never traveled by boat too often. It was rare for him to get the view of the vast ocean. As he approached the dock, he heard someone quietly panting in ahead of him. Low blasts of air accompanied the breathing. Zuko cautiously stepped forward to see none other than princess Azula, standing in the middle of the deck.

Pieces of her long raven hair were sticking to the sides of her face and neck, which were beaded with sweat. Her shoulders heaved with every ragged breath she took. Just what had she been doing? Only minor parts of her armor were on, leaving her in a loose fitting red and black robe. As he stepped forward, she shot her eyes towards his direction in a cold glare.

"Lee," she stated in her usual calm voice. Zuko cleared his throat into his hand and inclined his head.

"Princess," he bowed respectively. "Is... there anything you need?"

Azula took another deep breath, and slightly narrowed her eyes at him. "Grab your stance, Lee," she ordered, stepping back with her fists raised. "I want to test your strength once again."

_Damn. Why did I have to ask that? Just my luck for her to say she needed a sparring partner, not a towel. _Zuko inwardly cursed his miswording, as he braced himself in a defensive form. The last time he fought her, he barely walked away with his life. He wasn't even sure if she was using her full power. Although he loved having bending battles with his uncle, fighting with her was a complete different story—his life was on the line with every misstep he took.

As soon as he appeared ready, Azula blasted a ball of flame towards him. _Oh yeah, and her fire is a ridiculous blue that burns through anything._ Zuko quickly called forth his own ball of fire to neutralize it.

He continued the intense spar, knowing that she wasn't using her full power. It felt as if she was simply testing him out. A feeling completely different from the powerful killing intent he felt yesterday. The more Zuko prolonged the fight, the more it felt like he was fighting against his uncle. His fighting style strangely matched the style Azula fought with. The similar stances and attack pattern puzzled Zuko. Without warning, she heightened the power of her strikes, every arch of her legs exerting an enormous amount of force and heat.

His breathing came hard. The sun was rising above the waters, filling him with energy. With renewed effort, Zuko powered himself closer to Azula, closing the gap. Her hands rose in blue flames and quickly jabbed towards his face. He narrowly dodged the attack and grabbed her right wrist, twisting it against her back. Her back leg abruptly swung out of view and came crashing down the back of his head. Zuko cursed as he almost lost consciousness. In his imbalance, she swung her other leg behind his, knocking him off his footing. Zuko came crashing down on the metal deck, and landed roughly on his back. His breathing was torn, and his robe was drenched in sweat as he struggled to sit up.

Azula was no different. Her golden eyes still blared domination, but her breathing came in pieces. After a moment of silent recuperation on both sides, Zuko's breathing started to even out again and he wiped the seat off his forehead. She stared at him, watching Zuko slowly stand up again. "When did you join the army?"

Zuko froze. What would he say? Why was she asking questions suddenly? He paused before thinking of his answer. "About… a year ago." His voice sounded like a dying old man. He cleared his throat and waited.

"Who was your master?" she asked again. Zuko's mouth went dry as he tried to think of the best answer.

"I was... taught by my uncle," he replied honestly. "A simple man of his word." Azula continued to frown deeply as she across at him. _What is she trying to figure out? _She hummed quietly, wiping the sweat off her face with the back of her hand, and gracefully pulled her hair out of her view.

"I see," she simply replied. "Is there an understanding of last night's situation?"

Zuko blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"There was an attack on the ship last night near midnight." She stated. "Six men gone."

He stood there dumbfounded. Attack on the ship? Six men missing? What was going on… who would attack the ship? It had hit him. They were in the middle of the ocean. "A person on this ship…?" He cautiously spoke.

Azula blinked once. "It seems unlikely that a fish could climb aboard and take six men, no?" He frowned. _Did she just make a sarcastic remark?_ He cleared his throat again and looked across to her. She looked absolutely serious.

"I apologize for my incompetence, princess… I'll look into it," he quickly responded, inclining his head. She nodded and continued to adjust her arm guards.

"There's also been a change of plans," Zuko perked at the news, and raised an eyebrow. "We'll be arriving near Kyoshi Island in a few hours. They have been neutral in this war for far too long."

_Kyoshi Island? Where was that? Were they already somewhere near the fire nation? _Zuko nodded once. "And your orders for me?"

"You will remain here." Zuko frowned and started at Azula. _Remain here by myself? _"I will leave you a few soldiers to capture the culprit of yesterday's attack." Her eyes flashed darkly as she turned to look out into the sun. "I'm sure they will move while we are gone. Guard the prisoner well."

His world had lit up instantly. This would be the perfect opportunity to take Sokka and escape. Most of the soldiers would be gone, Azula would be gone, and they would have plenty of time to get away. His heart skipped joyously as he fought the urge to smile excitedly.

"One more thing," she called out. "There's a small ship that's been following us since yesterday morning. Keep an eye out for them."

The news went in one ear and out the other. He bit his tongue in order to suppress his over joyous tone of voice. "As you command, princess." He gave her a quick bow as she turned and walked off the deck, stepping through the large double doors.

Zuko flew. He couldn't wait to tell Katara the great news. Although it felt like they had infiltrated weeks ago, he couldn't believe the sudden chance that came right in front of him. It was truly a miracle.

"Katara!" he exclaimed, busting in the dark room. He ran forward until he heard a quiet groan from the back. He had completely forgotten she was sleeping. Katara was still resting on the ground her eyes groggily opening and closing. He sat in front of her and raised a hand in an apologetic motion. "Sorry… forgot you were sleeping."

She grinned, and puffed out her nose. "Thanks for the wake up call," she sluggishly replied. Katara pushed herself up and leaned against the crates. "So," she said yawning. "Why do you look so excited?" She raised an eyebrow at him, still holding the playful smile on her lips.

"I have good news for you," he said, leaning closer to her. He was about to speak when he noticed dark circles under her eyes. His face quickly frowned at the observation. "Did you not sleep well? You don't look good… bad dreams?"

"Huh?" she muttered, still not fully awake. "Uh—I guess not. I don't actually remember much…" she trailed off, then rubbed her eyes to try and make them look better. "Wait, what's the good news?"

Zuko tensed, not sure how to word his revelation. "I know how we can save Sokka," he firmly said. Katara's eyes widened as she pulled herself closer.

"So he's here…?" she whispered. Zuko nodded. Katara's eyes shifted as she frowned and looked down. "Where…?"

"That is…" Zuko mumbled. "Something I'll find out later." She glanced back up with a frown. "Right now, we're headed to someplace called Kyoshi Island," he explained. "Princess Azula is taking over half the men for to try and get them to change their neutral position, while I remain here to guard the ship."

Katara slowly nodded, understanding the message. "So… we can take him back while they're gone!" Her voice raised, eagerness clearly visible on her face.

"But we have a problem…" he cautiously said. She frowned and raised an eyebrow at him. "Someone attacked the ship last night from the inside, and there's a good chance they'll attack again today."

Katara's eyes shifted down as her mouth slightly opened as if to say something. "I'm supposed to watch out for this guy and try to catch him," he continued. "They could potentially mess up our plans if we run into them."

"No one's going to attack," she quietly replied. Zuko made a face of confusion and stopped his words. She softly sighed looked back up to his face. "Cause… that was me."

Now Zuko was really confused. _Katara attacked the soldiers? _"What?" he slowly responded, baffled at what he was hearing. "_You _did that?"

She lowered her gaze in hesitation. Zuko was literally mind blown. _Katara took out six guys last night, and I wasn't even awake. _"What happened?" his voice sounded urgent. "Were you attacked? Are you hurt? Why didn't you wake me—"

"I…" Katara cut in. "I just wanted to find out some information… and Sokka." She silently sulked. "Then some soldiers spotted me… but I'm okay! Honest—not a scratch on me. I can take care of myself."

Zuko wanted to protest, but he knew she had a point. She was safe, sitting in front of him within an arm's reach. He recognized that she was a strong, independent girl who can take care of herself, but he couldn't help but feel disappointed that she hadn't relied on him. "Sorry…" he muttered. "I just didn't want to see you hurt." He lowered in head as a blush ran across his cheeks. What was he saying? He was speaking as if he owned her, or something. His blush deepened at the thought. _Don't think about it. Don't think about it. _

Katara released a light giggle and grinned. "Thanks for your concern," she scooted closer and gazed up at Zuko's face with bright eyes, determined. "So… tell me the plan."

* * *

Everything was going perfectly. The ship had docked near the shore, and Azula had taken well over half the soldiers on her operation to the Kyoshi Island villages. After witnessing that she had indeed left, Zuko and Katara began their save-Sokka mission. They had grabbed his dao dual swords and her bow as they left the crate room.

"Katara… I need to tell you something," he urged. He needed to tell her before the guilt completely consumed him. They were headed towards the hidden door. She slightly cocked her head to the side, as if to show she was listening. "I… talked to Sokka," he admitted, shutting his eyes in guilt. "I've known where he was since yesterday… I'm sorry." His voice croaked.

Silence passed between the two. After what seemed like forever, Zuko slowly pulled his eyes open to see Katara's blank face, right in front of his. Startled, he stepped back with a stutter and a hand instinctively shielding his face and started to apologize again.

"It's fine," she reassuringly said. Zuko mouth slightly opened. "He told you not to tell me, right?" She huffed quietly. He gave her a stiff nod. "You don't have to feel bad, Zuko. Although I'm upset, I understand where you're coming from."

He felt incapable again. Had he disappointed her? Made her feel like she couldn't handle the truth? Maybe this was why she didn't rely on him. Anger began to flame his inner heat. Why was he so angry with himself again? Oh yeah—he had made Katara upset for something that could have been avoided. The torches nearby began to flare wildly, responding to his lack of control.

"Zuko," she called out, her voice unyielding. She gave him a small smile and placed her hand on top of his hair, ruffling it. "There, there, it's fine. No one's angry at you."

"Stop that," he subtly whined, a small laugh in his voice. His rage began to settle quickly. _What the heck? How did she do that?_ It normally took an hour of mediation and breathing before his anger subsided.

"Then let's go, no more guilty confessions unless you want to go bald by burning all your hair off," she retorted, making sizzling movements and noises near her head.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he playfully responded, figuring she was talking about his body temperature again. He smirked inwardly, as a warm feeling spread through his chest.

Zuko walked up to the hidden door with Katara following behind him. It perfectly blended in with the rest of the wall, leaving no room for suspicion. She gave him a look of confusion, as he motioned for her to back up. Breathing carefully, he felt the heat in his palms rise, ready to bend fire when necessary. With a deep breath, he expelled a powerful stream of fire from both hands into the corners of the wall. The familiar insignia of the fire nation burned on the metal wall.

Katara looked stunned. Her eyes widened as the wall moved, revealing the cold, empty room inside. She seemed hesitant to enter, but suddenly ran ahead of him and spotted Sokka on the ground.

"Sokka!" she cried, rushing to the floor next to him. She lifted his face between her hands and shook him. "Can you hear me? It's me, Katara!" A quiet cough escaped his lips as he sluggishly opened one of his eyes, the other one too swollen to respond.

"Katara…?" he croaked, his voice sounded worse than yesterday. "What…" he trailed off. His attention drifted to Zuko, who was standing behind her. "You… told…"

"Yes, he told me, you idiot-brother!" Katara stuttered. "We're going to get you out of here." Zuko took this as his cue to walk forward. He examined the chains and shackles that were cuffed to his wrists and ankles. They were unbelievably heavy and thick.

"Katara…" Sokka rasped again. "Just… run… away." She forcibly gripped the fabric around his neck and looked straight at him.

"No. I'm done running," she firmly stated. "Whatever it is, I'll fight against it. I'm not going to run away again." Sokka's good eye widened at her words, and the siblings stared at each other until Zuko cut in.

"I can't get these off," he urgently spoke, lifting the chain. Katara picked up Sokka's wrist and examined the metal, trying finding some kind of fault. She muttered a frustrated snarl.

"Fire…" Sokka unexpectedly muttered. Both Katara and Zuko quickly looked over to him. She glanced back at Zuko. "Can you do it?" her voice pleaded.

"Of course," he confirmed, as it struck him. "But I can only melt the chains for now, trying to take off the circle fastening could burn his skin." Katara nodded quickly. He pulled the chain into a tight line and released a thin stream of condensed flame from his fingertip. The area of attack began to glow a light orange. As he worked at melting the chain, Katara swiped her hand in the air, taking in all the water particles that lingered. The room dried quickly, allowing her to obtain a tiny pool of water around her first two fingers. She placed the water over Sokka's bad eye and began healing him. The water glowed a familiar blue.

One by one, Zuko melted the chains off until he was down to the last one. Katara had healed some of the physical injuries on Sokka's face, but the amount of water needed as a catalyst was inadequate. The last chain finally separated from the wall, and crashed into the metal floor.

"I'll carry him," he quickly said, pushing up Sokka's limp body. "Try to fend off the remaining soldiers that were left here." She nodded in understanding, and helped lift Sokka to his feet. He grunted in pain as the two worked to drag him out of the room. Zuko bended fire against the wall again, demanding the metal to reopen.

He slumped Sokka over his back and carried him upstairs. _First piggyback the sister, and now the brother._ Zuko almost smirked at his realization. Although no soldiers were in sight, it didn't make his burden any less. Sokka was one big guy. Not including the extra weights he had on his arms and legs. Carrying him up three flights of stairs proved to be great difficulty.

Katara burst out to the deck with her hands raised, ready to attack anyone in sight. The deck was empty. Zuko staggered up the last steps and felt the sunlight beam on his face, filling him with new energy.

"Something's wrong," she murmured, still glancing around the empty deck. "Why isn't there anyone here?" Zuko frowned. He told the remaining soldiers to stay on deck to look out. Had something happened? He grunted, adjusting Sokka's weight on his back.

"Let's just go," he huffed. Katara bit on her bottom lip, but still led the way down the ship. As soon as they stepped on the shore, a small comet of blue flame came flying in their direction.

"Watch out!" Zuko cried. She reacted instinctively, and raised a wall of seawater from the shore, dousing the fire. They both froze. In the distance, Azula walked towards them with her arm extended out. The soldiers surrounded her sides, creating an intimidating aura. _Impossible. She was supposed to be at the villages._

He then realized. He had slipped up, too far in to notice. She had realized, and completely fooled him.

"So… it is you," he heard her say. She stopped her march a hundred yards away from the three stunned individuals. Katara tensed. Zuko's mouth went dry as she approached again. "For you to come to me on your own accord… saved me a lot of time." Azula's voice hardened, turning icy just as Zuko first remembered.

"Your attack last night was impressive," she continued. Katara's eyes widened as horror and shock ran across her features. Her mouth opened slightly to say something, but no words came out. "However, it seems you miscalculated somewhere."

Zuko was too mind blown for the day. Azula had figured them out. He knew he would lose if he fought her again in his weakened state, and he definitely didn't want Katara to fight her. Fear gripped at his heart, as his thoughts flew wildly on their possibilities. Escaping wasn't one of them.

"Now neither of you are needed anymore," she said towards Zuko and Sokka. "Although… you were an… interesting fellow." Azula stepped forward with an unrecognizable stance. She pointed two fingers in his direction with the utmost look of concentration on her face.

Something wasn't right. Her arms danced in a swirling motion, graceful and nothing like firebending. But Zuko could feel it, the extreme concentration of energy that was gathering at her fingertips. Whatever she was doing, it was extremely dangerous. The hair on the back of his neck stood up at the sudden crackling sound that emitted from her unusual bending. The soldiers at her side shuffled back, not wanting to be caught in the attack. Azula took a deep breath.

"Katara, run!" he shouted in her direction.

Numerous things happened at once. He saw her face, serious yet somber look straight back into his horrified eyes. "I'm done running," she whispered. A static stream of white circulated between Azula's hands before a blast of burning white energy burst towards them at an incredible speed. Katara jumped forward, calling a wall of water in front of her, rapidly solidifying it to ice. There was an ear-shattering explosion as shards of ice flew everywhere. Zuko was thrown back, causing him to lose grip of Sokka and fly backwards.

There was only silence.

A quiet hissing noise emitted in the distance. Zuko groaned as he pushed himself up to see splints of ice surrounding him. A few had sunk into his skin. In front of him, Katara lay motionless, thrown down against the ground.

"K-Katara!" he yelled, frantically getting to his feet and pushing himself to her. Her eyes were barely open, the light in them rapidly fading. Her breathing came in pieces, barely audible. "Stay conscious! Why... Why… did you…"

She stayed motionless.

Seeing her in front of him, unresponsive, Zuko's world was about to flip over any second. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't see anything but Katara's limp body in front of him.

"That was close," Azula's cold voice settled over the silence again. "She would have really died if I didn't slightly change course." Zuko stared in her direction. But Katara was all he could think of. _Katara died? Impossible. Never. She would never die. _

"It's time to end this," she called, pointing two fingers in his direction again. He was going to be killed. This was it. There was no way an attack like that could be countered. She circled her arms again as static began to concentrate near her hands. He held Katara's face in his arms, as fear froze his body in place. Another white beam of energy blasted from her fingertips towards him faster than anything Zuko had experienced. He closed his eyes.

_I don't want to die._

A large arm suddenly shot out in front of him. Zuko forced his eyes to open just in time to see another blast of white energy fly towards the sky. Nothing had hit them. A large man stood in front of him with his arm raised in the air. Steam rose from his fingertips.

"Whew," a familiar husky voice sighed of relief. "Looks like I made it in time."

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A/N: Hello! Wow this is the longest chapter I've written so far! Over 4,000 words :D Hope you guys enjoyed it. Are they getting too long? I know I should set myself on a certain word count... but it's just not happening.  
Also, welcome Iroh! Glad he's finally here after 14 chapters of just mentioning him. Although this isn't much of an introduction... it'll happen next chapter. (Sorry, ugh.) There's also a high possibility than two more characters will make their appearance soon!Hehehe. I know the ending was a tad bit depressing for Zuko... but things will get better!

So review, review! I seriously love reading them (: And a quick thanks to the guest reviews, sorry I can't reply to your review directly... but I'm immensely grateful to you all! See you guys soon^^


	15. Family

Chapter 15: Family

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A slight note before you read ahead! In this chapter (and possibly ones in the future), I am switching perspectives in the middle of the story for you guys to get a better understanding of what's going on. I will warn you with a "***" before the change. Thanks!

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"Uncle…?"

Zuko's raspy voice called out instinctively. The large man turned his head and looked down at him. His gray beard covered the lower half of his usual happy face, which was now set into a deep scowl, and his light amber eyes suddenly seemed to bear the weight of the world.

"…Uncle!" Zuko cried again. He could feel his eyes start to water at the man before him. He was alive. His uncle was alive. He couldn't believe it. He was too dumbfounded to form words. Iroh let out another sigh as he lowered his sizzling hand. His eyes displayed worry as he put his hand on Zuko's shoulder.

"Zuko… are you okay?" Iroh's husky voice filled him with renewed wonder. It really was him. He couldn't even find the strength to speak; a thick ball of confusion clogged his throat. He simply nodded his head. Iroh firmly gripped his shoulder and looked down. "And this young lady?"

He felt his eyes widen. Katara. He lowered his gaze to his hands, seeing her fallen face before him. Fear and devastation gripped his heart again. "Katara—" he managed to choke out. "She was hit—for me—I—I… couldn't do anything—I—"

"Calm down, nephew," he firmly stated. "She'll be okay." Zuko shook his head in small, quick nods and glanced back at his uncle's face, unable to look at her. His lips trembled and his breathing started to come in pieces.

"You…" Azula finally spoke, breaking their reunion, her face clearly in disbelief. "Who are you?"

Iroh turned his attention to her, getting back on his feet and gave her a big smile. "I'm hurt, Princess Azula," he slowly addressed. Zuko frowned. _How… did he know her name_? _Much less that she was a princess._ From the distance Zuko could see her eye twitch at the call and a scowl form in the center of her face. Iroh let out a low chuckle. "Although… the last time I saw you, you were as big as my forearm," he pointed, lifting his arm again. "I guess I can't really expect you to remember me."

Azula took a step forward, a deep growl forming behind her throat. "Old man…" she warned. "You dig your grave, mocking me." Iroh lifted both hands in front of him and made a playful frown.

"I would never mock you…" he replied respectfully. "I am simply… amazed at your growth." His eyes turned serious again as Azula took another step forward. "Please allow this old man to take his nephew and his companions in peace." He quickly glanced to Zuko and whispered under his breath, "Get up, nephew."

Zuko was stunned. What was he talking about? How did his uncle know her? He had been living with his uncle all his life, so he should have remembered if they met someone as important as the one and only princess of the fire nation. What was going on? Zuko's head spun in a million directions until Iroh's request finally registered in his brain.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," she responded venomously. Her arms began to swirl in front of her, as white energy concentrated near her fingertips. "I must take that girl."

Zuko's eyes widened as he inwardly shrunk back. With difficulty, he picked up Katara in his arms and stepped back. "Uncle, that attack is dangerous, you—"

"I'm aware..." he cut off Zuko with a hand. His seemed somber and regretful. "Step back, Zuko, protect your friend." He instinctively stepped a couple steps back and stared in horror as his uncle faced Azula's power.

"Are you sure you want to generate such concentrated lightning?" Iroh yelled out to her. She gave no response and continued to walk forward, hot energy blasting between her hands. "It might come right back at you…" He warned.

Lighting? Zuko frowned inwardly. He had never heard of such a thing. If heat was concentrated enough in one place, it sounded possible, yet ridiculous. He held his breath in anticipation.

Azula took a final step forward before shooting another stream of white lighting from her fingertips. Iroh stood, calm and collected, he took a deep breath before extending out his left hand. The lighting disappeared. For a slip second, Zuko watched his uncle move fluidly, tracing his arm, down to his abdomen and quickly stretching out his right hand in the direction of the ship. A large shock of lighting, even bigger than the first, blasted from his fingertips. The lighting crashed into the center of the vessel, causing it to blow and explode into flames.

All eyes turned towards the ship, and watched it combust and quickly be overtaken by flames, breaking and sinking into the waves. Zuko was amazed; he was completely lost for words. He had no idea his uncle was so powerful. Azula looked similarly taken aback.

"I see the warships are no different from twenty years ago," Iroh finally spoke, a small smile on his lips. "It can easily be taken down if you hit it in the right place."

Azula's eyes hardened, observing the two men. Zuko didn't think she could look any angrier. "You absorbed my lighting," she asked like a statement. "Further more, you amplified the attack by adding your own lighting to mine…" she trailed off again.

Iroh's eyes widened the slightest, a big grin breaking out on his face. "Wow!" he exclaimed, startling Zuko. "To get all that by just seeing it twice." He placed his hands over his stomach and released a deep laugh. "You're so much more capable than my nephew over here."

Zuko blinked. _What?_

"Uncle, w-what?" he stammered, his previous fear and anger forgotten, he abruptly got up. "_Uncle!_" he protested again taking long strides towards him. Iroh continued to laugh heartedly. Azula simply stared at the big man, looking unsure of how to proceed. Zuko scoffed with his jaw hanging down. His uncle had completely dissed him in front of everyone, in the middle of battle. He felt a grin tug at the corners of his mouth. Only his uncle could make such a ridiculous remark in a tense moment.

Or at least he hoped it was a joke.

"Your nephew…?" she slowly addressed, her eyes traveling towards Zuko. "I supposed this is the man who mentored you, Lee? Or should I say… Zuko?" He caught his breath, and stared right back at her. Silence dragged the atmosphere as the two young firebenders stared down at each other. One looking uncertain, the other ready to kill.

"P-Princess… the ship…" a soldier quietly stammered behind her. Sudden murmurs erupted through the line of soldiers, all looking nervous and shifty. They turned to look at the once grand battle instrument, now bent, broken, and completely submerged into the ocean.

If Azula cared about her ride back home sinking, she didn't show it. Her eyes glanced back to the large man in front of her who was responsible for the deed. Iroh took a slight step back and leaned towards Zuko, "Yeah, you still have a long way to go, my nephew." Zuko finally broke his eye staring battle with her and sighed.

Azula closed her eyes for a second. Her armor shifted quietly as her chest heaved with a deep breath. "Grab the girl," she sharply ordered the soldiers. "I will hold him back. _Do not lose her._" With her last word, she bolted forward with lighting speed, quickly closing the gap between them. Her hands blazed with blue fire as she took on a striking position.

"Zuko, go!" Iroh yelled, before turning to block Azula's attack just in time. Trusting in his uncle, he ran back towards Katara and threw her on his back. The soldiers came running in right behind their leader. He would have to trust that all the soldiers went after him and Sokka would be left unharmed. The brother was thankfully thrown back into the bushes, hidden from view. Zuko bolted from the shore and ran into the forest; he could tell it wasn't very thick from the amount of sunlight that poured in from the top.

He silently cursed. There would be nowhere to hide, and Zuko couldn't keep running forever. He sprinted deeper into the forest, thankful that the ground was relatively flat, when he spotted two large boulders against a tree. After gently setting Katara down, he apologized and quickly ripped a large strip of fabric from her top robe, careful not to rip too much. Zuko made sure she was completely hidden behind the rock, when he heard the soldiers approach.

He was out of breath and tired. But he needed to be away from Katara if his plan was going to work. After giving one last look to Katara, Zuko ran dashed across the forest again.

_I promise, I'll come back and save you. _

"He's running this way!" someone yelled out. Zuko quickened his pace. His lungs felt like they were drying out and every cell in his legs were screaming at him to slow down. Right when he felt like giving up, he finally spotted a tree with a low branch. He ran the final distance and threw himself onto the limb, the rough barks scabbing his hands and forearms. With difficulty, he pushed himself up and climbed higher onto the tree. Zuko lifted his arm and slid the blue cloth he ripped from Katara's shirt, into the smaller branches above. He made sure to have half of the fabric hanging out, clearly in view.

The soldiers were quickly approaching. His legs ultimately gave away on his way down, making Zuko tumble down the tree. He stretched out on the ground hearing the soldiers make their way towards him. His entire body shook with every ragged breath he released.

"He's here!"

The group of soldiers filed in from the maze of trees and surrounded him. Some had their spears pointed at him. Zuko forced his body to get up, calming his breathing to try and make it look like he wasn't as tired as he felt. He counted quickly in his head, resulting in well over forty soldiers. For a moment no one spoke. They seemed to look around with the absence of Katara. The faces Zuko could still see, he recognized. They frowned, looking more confused than angry. Zuko was the first to speak.

"Sorry guys," his horse voice echoed through the forest. He cleared his throat and gave them an apologetic smile. "It wasn't my intention to deceive you… it just kind of turned out like this."

The soldiers in the front paused, obviously affected by his words. "Lieutenant Lee…" someone whispered in the back. Zuko shook his head. It was his honest feelings. Even though he had only been their leader for a little over a day, he felt a brotherly bond with them.

"I don't want to fight you guys… but I know you have an order to carry out," he took a breath and stared into the eyes of the men before him. He made an obvious glance towards the tree above him and quickly looked back down, hoping someone caught his movement. A man in the front followed Zuko's line of vision and spotted the blue cloth hanging from the tree.

"She's up there…" he quietly called. All the soldiers looked towards the tree and spotted the piece of blue cloth that was hanging out. Zuko smiled inwardly. It had worked. He took a step back and put on his best face of distress.

"I'm can't let you guys take her," his resolve strengthening. "You're going to have to fight me to get up this tree."

"***"

Iroh was beyond surprised. Before his thoughts could stray away again, he quickly pulled his large body back just enough to dodge an on-coming blast of blue fire.

"I didn't expect you to be this talented," he admitted, narrowly dodging another wave of heat from her hand. Azula narrowed her eyes, studying him with confusion and frustration, yet her face stayed solid and mildly expressionless. He felt his heart ache with guilt and sorrow. Just what had his power-hungry brother put his poor niece through? If he ever met her again, he wanted to see her as a cheerful young lady with the same warmth as her mother. But this was reality, Azula stood in front of him; a pitiful child who grew up unable to express her feelings, and held the weight of her father's demands. _Damn Ozai, he could mentally corrupt his own child for his desires. _Iroh tightened his fist and scowled.

"Why did you take Zuko?" he calmly asked, stepping out of her attack range. Azula also took a step back, catching her breath and wiping the side of her face with her hand.

"You misunderstand, old man," she replied to his surprise. "He came on his own accord." Iroh frowned inwardly, trying to hide his desperate confusion. That didn't make any sense based on what happened. She could be lying to him, but what would she gain from doing that? He gave her a small smile, pushing his thoughts back into his head.

"Sheesh, I'm not even that old. I'm only a few years older than your father…" he trailed off his playful tone and scratched his bearded chin. "Or was it a few decades? Whew, time sure flies." Again, Azula stopped and stared at him with an unreadable expression, but probably thinking something along the lines of who-the-hell-does-this-man-think-he-is?

"You dare speak so casually about my father," she warned, her voice turning icy. She pulled back her hands and began the motion to generate lighting. "Unforgivable." She quietly murmured.

Iroh was still amazed with her abilities. He had been looking out for information and gossip on the fire nation. Every time Azula came into topic, the same words were mentioned; a prodigy, genius strategist, the daughter of fire. Iroh was proud, yet ashamed at the same time. There was no exaggeration in describing her; she was truly a mastermind in all aspects, excelling far beyond Zuko's abilities. In fact, he hadn't even mentioned the possibility of lighting generation to Zuko, it was no wonder he was locked with fear. He had hesitated too long, trying to hide Zuko from the world, and he knew he owed his nephew an explanation.

He sighed inwardly, watching Azula's perfect form, condensing powerful energy with her movements. In the last second, he effortlessly took two steps to the side, calling effortlessly a wall of fire to his right, as the lighting burst past him.

"Your father…" Iroh gently spoke, _is my brother, _he wanted to tell her. He knew he would regret saying anything to her, but the words wouldn't leave his mouth.

"Fight back!" Azula suddenly yelled. His eyes widened as he looked back at her, the frustration she wasn't able to contain any longer emerging on her face. "You can't save your nephew while fighting me with no killing intent."

Iroh closed his eyes and slightly frowned. She was right. As a warrior, he knew better than anyone else that it felt degrading to be fought indifferently on the battlefield.

"How…" Iroh tried to swallow the knots of guilt forming in his throat. It was time; he couldn't run away any longer. It had to be said. It was time for him to fight back. "How… can I attack my one and only niece with an intent to kill?" He knew she wouldn't believe his words, but letting it out into the air after seventeen years of hiding it, it felt unusual.

Azula stood motionless. He had murmured the revelation quietly, but looking at the response she gave him—or no response—he knew she had heard him. After a moment a silence, Azula smirked. It was the first time he had seen some kind of smile on her face.

"You've grown senile," She breathed, her eyes casting down—with an expression almost like disappointment. Iroh felt something stab at his heart, he had expected it, yet he had still hoped for some kind of recognition. "You've said enough." With her final words, Azula shot forward towards him with renewed speed, attacking with deadly accuracy.

Iroh struggled to fight the first time in many decades. She had quickly realized long-distance attacks won't work, and moved closer, forcing him to move more quickly than before. He had grown a bit out of shape, and his large body didn't support his urgent need for speedy hand-to-hand combat. He remained clam, adjusting his breathing every time he barely avoided another one of Azula's fatal attacks. It wasn't already difficult enough with her blue fire; he noticed it felt heavier and stronger than usual, combusting easily if he made the wrong move. If he received a solid blow from her, he knew he wouldn't be able to keep up after.

Before Iroh could detect it, the ground suddenly shook under their feet, throwing them off balance. The earth under Azula's feet burst from the ground, sending her flying back from where he was standing.

_Earth bending._

Shocked, he turned to the trees to see the one responsible for the attack.

"***"

Zuko always knew he wasn't a strategist, but damn, he thought he at least had some kind of planning skills—apparently not. He stood by the tree, panting, drenched in his own sweat. He never knew standing took so much effort from his body. With every muscle he moved, his body screamed out to him in pain. The ice shards that had pierced his body from Katara's bending, were quickly melting from his body heat, consequently making him bleed out.

His head was spinning and he could barely concentrate on anything. He had taken down soldier after soldier wondering when it was going to end. The number never seemed to die down. Another soldier ran towards him with a quick battle cry. Zuko called fire to him palms, and punched ball of flame towards the approaching man. He noticed his fire was slowly getting smaller. The soldier raised his arms, blocking the fire from engulfing him. _Damn those arm guards. _It seemed they were fire-resistant, always obstructing his attacks.

Zuko tried to side step the spear attack, but his body felt slow and sluggish, causing the edge of the spear to cut into the side of his waist. He felt a scream of pain at his lips.

_Is this my limit? Is this how far I can go? What about saving Katara? She's still waiting for me, waiting in greater pain because I was incapable of protecting myself. _Zuko felt his anger rise._ Didn't I promise to protect her… to return and save her? _

Zuko grasped the side of his waist where the spear cut through, to try and stop the bleeding. He steeled his eyes and looked up at the soldier who was preparing for another attack. Before he could make his move, a sudden blast of air flew in his direction, knocking back the soldiers in the front. It wasn't any random blast of air. It had form and weight, as if the air had compressed and moved on it's own. He froze, watching the soldiers knock into each other from the surprise attack. He heard a voice shout a distance behind him.

"No fair, twinkle toes! _You know_ air activity isn't my forte!"

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A/N: Surprise? Sorry I always end up giving you guys cliff hangers. I'm now officially on summer break, which means more writing time! (: I was able to update within a week this time, but if you haven't noticed, this chapter is shorter than the last one. Something's gotta be sacrificed.  
On the bright side... look who I brought into my story! :D *excited squeal* Originally, I wasn't planning on having either of them incorporated because I didn't know how. And if I'm going to be honest, I still don't know how. (Haha whoops). But I'll find a way to weave them in, I even have a backstory for them already. heh.

Anyways! I'm going to need some major feedback for this chapter. How was the mid-perspective change? (Like it? Don't like it? Awkward? Easy to follow or confusing?) How was Iroh's character? (Not portrayed well? Seems like him?) I had slight difficulty writing his dialogue and trying to add in sassy remarks. And how is Azula? (I never got much feedback on her change of personality.) Review and share me your thoughts! You guys keep me writing.

See you soon!


	16. Sassy and Bald

Chapter 16: Sassy and Bald

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Zuko had never seen more of a bizarre duo, than the one he currently had his eyes on. A young man in orange with a bright blue arrow tattooed on his head came flying in with a small girl in green, who seemed to be struggling like never before. They landed gracefully on the ground in front of him, when the girl jumped forward and plunged her hands and feet into the ground.

"Earth!" She sighed in satisfaction. "You have never felt so good until now."

"Come on, Toph," said the tattooed boy with a raised eyebrow. "It wasn't that bad. And look—we got here a lot quicker." He mused.

Zuko continued to stare at the two before him. The soldiers were blown away with the sudden wind, and were struggling on top of each other. At a closer look, the tattooed boy was no shorter than Zuko—if not the same height, his blue arrow tattoo seemed to extend to his arms and hands. He had warm gray eyes and deep-set dimples on his cheeks that formed while smiling at the girl next to him. A long brown staff was in his hand, and Zuko could have sworn there was something orange protruding out of it before. The girl was even more unusual-looking than the boy. She was a whole head shorter than him, dressed in green and light yellow attire, with the poof of her raven black hair adding a few more inches that she desperately appeared to have needed.

"Who are you guys?" Zuko finally croaked out. He breathed heavily; it seemed to take all his energy to say those four words. He was backed up against the tree that supposedly hid Katara, unsure of what to do. On instinct, he didn't feel that they were his enemies, but Zuko couldn't find himself trusting anyone at the moment.

The tattooed boy turned his head to face Zuko, a kind smile still plastered on his face. "Oh—Hi," he lifted his free hand as a gesture. "Don't worry, we're here to help you. We saw the fire nation navy approaching and came to see what was going on, then we saw you getting attacked—"

"And now we're here to get these guys off this island and save your sorry butt," the girl interrupted and finished his sentence. The boy shot a slight frown at the girl, while she responded maturely by sticking her tongue in his direction.

Zuko would have flared up in anger at the sudden jibe from the girl, but his exhaustion cooled his temper. He also felt that what she said what right. Katara was severely hurt, his uncle was all alone fighting a dangerous battle, and he was loosing his strength, fighting the soldiers. He must have looked absolutely pitiful and pathetic.

"My uncle…" Zuko swallowed and spoke again, only to be cut off.

"I know, I can feel it," she interrupted, lifting her hand to signal to the boy next to her. "You stay here twinkle toes, I'll deal with the two at shore."

The boy smiled, and smacked his hand against hers with a sharp snap. "Be a little inconspicuous, yeah?" he playfully remarked.

The girl only seemed to roll her eyes at him. The ground suddenly shook under her feet, the earth erupting with the rise of her fists. Zuko's jaw dropped in surprise, feeling the powerful effects of her bending.

She was an earthbender.

Before his shock could subside, the ground moved under her, carrying her through the trees faster than Zuko could have thought. It looked as if she was running with a large earth boulder under her feet.

"Jeez," the boy sighed, slightly shaking his head. "Never the type for stealth attacks."

Zuko didn't even think twice about how she knew there was two people fighting near the shore. His energy began to circulate again as his steadied his breathing. _I can do this. Katara is waiting for me. _He snapped his eyes into focus and stepped next to the tattooed boy.

"Are you… okay?" the boy asked with a raised eyebrow, but sincere worry was in his voice. The soldiers had passed the initial shock, as they stood up and prepared themselves for an attack. Zuko gave him a curt nod, trying to save every bit of energy he had left to fight.

At his nod, the boy, sprang forward, startling the soldiers that were close to him. Zuko watched for a moment as the boy's arms and legs seemed to fly in every direction, sending concentrated arcs of air at the soldiers. They flew back with such force, causing them to hit the trees or rocks and lose consciousness. Zuko's eyes widened in surprise as the boy landed back on his feet easily, turning his body with the wind. He seemed to be moving effortlessly, the air around him obeying his every command.

Zuko turned just in time to block an on-coming attack from a soldier. He couldn't be distracted at a time like this. With a low grunt, he kicked the masked enemy squarely in the chest, sending him flying back into the trees. Zuko could see the armor had roughly caved in and was hissing from his fire. He concentrated the flame in his fists, sending large bullets in flame in rapid succession towards the men before him. He had hesitated too long; he had let his confusion and cowardice overcome his drive. With a final roar of exasperation, he sent a wave of fire against the remaining men that were rushing towards him. After knocking down what seemed to be the final soldier, he turned to the boy, only to see him watching Zuko with curious eyes, dozens of soldiers lying unconscious at his feet.

Zuko panted heavily, his adrenaline rush quickly dying down. The boy didn't even seem out of breath or tired. He simply stood in front of Zuko with an unreadable expression.

"You're a firebender," he suddenly said. The boy didn't seem angry, but the smile from his face had faded.

"And you're an airbender…" Zuko equally replied, not believing his own words. He had heard of the other elemental benders from his uncle, but he had never seen them fight—much less meet one. Katara had been the first water bender he met. He then realized what the boy meant. Zuko shook his head, his eyes widening and his hands rising to his defense. "I swear I'm not with these guys." He swallowed his remaining pride and slightly lowered his head. "You have to believe me."

"…I believe you."

Surprised, Zuko glanced up at the boy to see a faint smile return. He didn't seem like he was lying, or trying to trick Zuko in any way. Zuko nodded and the two both came to some kind of mutual understanding. There was a sudden blare of what sounded like a horn, causing them both to turn their heads towards the direction of the shore.

"***"

Iroh had to blink, rub his eyes and shake his head in denial when a small girl walked out from the forest. He was sure someone had earth bended a massive amount of sand and dirt—and quite honestly, he did not expect a small girl to be the one responsible. She continued to walk out, approaching a dazed and confused Iroh.

"So I assume you're the uncle?" she dully asked, lightly glancing back to where Azula had fallen. She was thrown back at least three hundred feet, and barely saved herself from a neck-breaking fall by blasting fire from her feet to propel her body into alignment. She stood again, glaring daggers at the newcomer.

"You met my nephew?" he cautiously asked, wondering who this girl was. She gave him silent nod and turned to Azula again.

"Hey lady over there!" she hollered in Azula's direction. "It's time for you to get your invading butt off this island!"

Iroh threw a hand up to his mouth to muffle a sudden laugh. He had no idea who this girl was, but he liked her already. It seemed as if she wasn't an enemy, but it was never his style to let small girls fight for him, especially against Azula. Before he could interfere, Azula blasted forward, rapidly cutting the distance between them. The girl also jumped forward, the sand piling under her feet and throwing her towards Azula. Two large slates of sand burst from the ground in front of Azula momentarily stopping her advance. She ruptured the slates with fire, and continued dashing forward. The two girls met hard, earth against fire.

The small girl had bended the earth from inside the woods sending boulders of hardened dirt and sand towards Azula. She stomped on the ground, continuously making the sand erupt near Azula's feet, forcing her to back away.

With a frustrated snarl, Azula stepped back concentrating lighting in her fists. Iroh could watch no more. He had momentarily stood by, surprised and curious, watching two skillful benders battle, but things were getting dangerous. He rushed towards where the earthbender stood; ready to redirect the lighting, when the girl lifted both her arms out in front of her. With a rigid motion she clamped her hands into fists and brought them together. At the motion, Azula's arms stopped. With a sudden yelp she tried to move her arms, yet they moved outwards, seemingly against her will.

"Brat—what… is this…?" she growled dangerously, her arms hanging out to the side against her will.

Iroh's stopped breathing for a moment. What was going on? Was the girl… controlling her body? That seemed impossible. Yet _something _was happening right in front of his eyes. He continued to stare at the earthbender in front of him until she flicked her wrists slightly. Azula's chest plate rose, pulling the struggling princess into the air.

"If you're not going to leave, I don't mind sending you flying into the ocean," the girl spat at Azula.

A loud blast—the sound of an amplified horn suddenly echoed in the distance. Iroh knew that call too well. He turned his head only to see his prediction come true. Another fire navy was making its way towards the island, with a high chance of it being filled with hundreds of new soldiers. With the distraction, Azula ripped free of her invisible hold, dropping roughly against the ground. Before the small girl could move, she tore away her arm guards, her chest plate and the rest of her armor, leaving her in a dark red and orange robe.

"Hey!" The girl yelled when Azula propelled herself with fire off the island. She gave one last glare to the little earthbender before turning around and flying faster than Iroh could have ever moved with his huge body. The small girl didn't seem to give up; she raised a hand towards the water when a large piece of metal flew towards her hand. Iroh immediately recognized it as part of the previous ship he had destroyed. As soon as the metal plate came into contact with her hand, she crushed it down as if she was crumbling paper. She folded the metal into a large spike, and launched it towards Azula with a fierce battle cry.

Inwardly, Iroh's jaw dropped once again as he watched the metal barb fly towards Azula with such force, he was momentarily afraid that it would impale her straight through her body. From the distance, he saw her react in time and change course as the enormous thorn flew by her and collided with the side of the on-coming ship.

"Che." The girl wrinkled her nose, obviously not satisfied with the outcome. She raised her arms to retrieve another large chunk of metal before Iroh realized what was going on.

She was controlling and bending metal.

He wasn't sure how she did it, but that was how she was able to control Azula before—she was simply controlling the thin metal she was wearing. Refined metal had bits and pieces of earth that were left from the place of origin. It seemed ridiculous that this small girl was able to locate, and control the bits of earth left in the metal, yet the only explanation that came to his mind.

"It's okay now, let her leave," Iroh insisted, putting a calloused hand on her tiny shoulder. She looked up at him with a frown.

"Do you really think she's leaving?" she scowled. "If her reinforcements are here, that'll mean more trouble for us." Her vision seemed unfocused and a hazy gray color appeared to fill her entire eyes. Before he could observe any longer, they both turned around to see two men rushing out from the forest.

"***"

Zuko was reluctant to leave Katara. In fact, he was completely unwilling to leave Katara until the boy—he learned to be Aang—was able to convince him otherwise. If she was injured, it wasn't best to keep moving her. He finally decided to help Iroh and Sokka before coming back to take Katara. She would be safe behind the rocks anyways.

The two ran out from the forest only to see the small girl from before and his uncle standing on the shore. Zuko gazed out into the ocean to see a black ship approaching them.

"Uncle!" he yelled. "What's going on? Did she leave?" Zuko breathed hard, still exhausted from the run. He didn't realize how far he ran into the forest until he tried to run back out.

The girl—he remembered Aang had called her Toph—turned around with a scowl on her face. "Reinforcements are coming, twinkle toes."

Zuko silently cursed and stared at the girl; he had just noticed the abnormally large chunk of metal that was in her hand, towering above all of them. How was she even holding that? It looked unbelievably heavy in her small hands.

Aang frowned and slightly scratched his head, staring at the ship in the distance. "Let's not fight if we don't have too."

Toph huffed in response, "Always the pacifist, eh?" She effortlessly threw the large slate of metal into the ocean, causing a large wave, and crossed her arms. "Fine then, let's change the course of the ship and force it away."

"Clockwise?" Aang mused.

Toph nodded.

Zuko was lost. Turn the course of the ship? Was that even possible? If they were talking about what he thought, he assumed they were trying to force the entire ship to turn around. Zuko gazed at the warship again; it looked colossal, even from the distance. The mere thought of it being forced around seemed impossible. He glanced at Aang and Toph, wondering what they were thinking.

"Wait until it comes closer. I can't fully see the metal just yet." Aang nodded again at her words. At a tap of his staff, orange wings protruded from the sides of the wood.

"Don't destroy the rudder, okay?" he playfully remarked. "We're only turning them around and sending them off." And with that, he mounted his glider and flew off towards the ship.

"_Yeah, yeah, yeah,_" she lightly scoffed. Zuko watched as she raised her hands out in front of her and stared into the distance with a look of utmost concentration. The ship was approaching closer, and Aang was flying around the front of the ship, causing a wave of panic through the soldiers on board. "Ready when you are!" she hollered.

At her call, the wind around them began to pick up in speed. The waves began to rise and continuously crash the left side of the ship. Aang was bending all the air to push against one side of the ship. The metal groaned and creaked under the pressure, slowly turning to the right. There was the sound of mass panic on the ship as soldiers were running around in every direction, trying to figure out why the ship was shifting. Blasts of fire shot from the deck, but were blown out by the intense wind as soon as they escaped the bender. Zuko heard Toph growl in frustration as her hands moved slightly to the right, still holding its rigid form.

"Toph, you're going to snap the rudder!" Aang's voice traveled down with the wind.

"I know!" she screamed back. "Only because they're trying to control it!"

Zuko watched in amazement as the huge ship completed a ninety-degree turn. Aang was still blowing heavy winds against the side of the ship. The water was rising; crashing into the side with the force of an intense storm. His uncle was similarly in awe, watching the two benders, preforming what he deemed an impossible task. The ship was coming close to a full turn, and Aang was slowly moving towards the back of the ship.

"They're going back!" He yelled down as he flew closer towards shore. "I heard the command to retreat."

Toph smiled in triumph, obviously pleased with the outcome. Aang landed gracefully next to her and smiled back at her. With a final move, Toph flipped her hands over, resulting in a high screeching noise, as if metal was being ripped and torn. Sure enough, a large slab of metal burst from the ocean and flew towards the shore. Toph slightly shifted the direction with a flick of her wrist, causing the massive metal rudder to crash into the sand a few meters next to them.

"There," she simply stated. "Now they won't even be able to steer properly, much less turn around."

Zuko was stunned. If his mouth could have dropped any lower it would have. He rubbed his eyes and cleared his throat, to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Overdid it, as usual." Aang lightly commented.

"Please, I wasn't the one causing a freak storm," she snapped back. "Just call Appa, there's injured people here." She turned to face Zuko and raised an eyebrow. "Is that man back there with you guys?"

Zuko turned in the direction she motioned to, but didn't see anybody. Then it had hit him, Sokka was thrown back there.

"Y-Yeah, and Ka—"

"The girl in the forest right?" she cut him off for the umpteenth time. "I can barely feel her heartbeat anymore. I'll get her. It's much safer for me to bring her anyways."

Before Zuko could protest, Toph turned around and earth bended herself into the forest again. How did she even know where she was? Worry and guilt clawed at his chest, when a large hand pat down on his shoulder.

"It's going to be all right, nephew," He rubbed his beard and breathed. "I do not feel as if they are enemies. Let us trust them for now."

Zuko gave his uncle a short nod while forcing his bitter tears back. After a moment of silence, the two firebenders walked towards where Sokka had fallen. Thankfully, he appeared not to have been touched, but he was already covered in so many injuries, that Zuko couldn't tell what was what. They carefully carried him back to where Aang was standing, staring up at the sky.

The wind picked up again. Zuko had thought Aang was doing some sort of airbending when a large shadow appeared above them. Zuko almost gasped. A white creature about half the size of the fire nation ship landed in front of Aang. He had six legs, a pair of black horns that looked well over twice the size of Zuko, a large flat tail, and a dark brown arrow traveling down the length of the creature's body from forehead to tail.

"A sky bison," Iroh breathed in amazement. Zuko shot a confused look at his uncle then back at Aang, only to see his laugh and hug the furry creature's head. "What a stunning animal…"

Zuko would have freaked out if not for his uncle. This giant animal looked as if he could devour all of them in one sweep. He gulped down his nervousness as Aang turned around with a smile.

"Guys, meet Appa," he gestured towards the two men. "Appa, meet Zuko and his uncle."

Appa let out a deep groan and nudged his head at Aang. Zuko flinched, afraid that Aang would be thrown back with the force. Appa playfully stuck out its large tongue, licking Aang's face in one big motion, leaving his face drenched in saliva.

"Appa stop," he joked. "That's bad manners in front of new people."

There was another quiet rumble as Toph came out of the forest. She held Katara above the ground as a small earth bed supported her. She gave a frown to Zuko and then looked at Aang.

"This one's critical. We should get her to the village quickly." Zuko's heart constricted. Aang's smile faded as he approached Katara. With a swift motion, a small whirlwind formed under her body, and she was carefully set down on Appa's back. He walked over to Zuko and preformed the same maneuver, easily lifting Sokka to the saddle on Appa.

"Get on guys, the village is pretty far from here and we need to get going." He slid a hand under Toph's waist before lifting the two of them onto Appa's back.

Half of Zuko wanted to say 'no thanks' and back out. He still watched the sky bison wearingly, not sure if it was going to attack.

"It would be my honor," Iroh replied quickly, lowering his head to Appa. Reluctantly, Zuko followed his uncle, climbed up the side of Appa and lowered themselves on the saddle. Aang sat on Appa's head and grabbed the reins.

"Yip-yip!" Aang called. Appa moved with surprising fluidity, and leaped into the air. Zuko yelped. This enormous animal was flying. He forced his anxiety down for the last time before turning his attention to Katara.

The color had drained from her face; her breathing was barely audible, and she stayed motionless. He could slightly see the raw skin that was torched from the lighting attack.

Why did she do it? Why didn't she move and avoid the attack? Zuko felt guilt and shame overcome him. He had given up. Seeing Azula's attack, he was just going to die and let them take her. Zuko gritted his teeth and frowned. He had failed her. If his uncle hadn't come, or if Aang and Toph didn't show up, things would have been much different. He grew angry with himself, knowing that Katara had relied on him, but he had failed.

"Zuko."

His head shot up at his uncle's voice. Iroh watched him with a stern expression, the wind blowing at his beard. His large hand was lightly ruffling Zuko's messy hair.

"I can feel your fire burn, nephew," he paused and breathed slowly. "But do not let anger possess your spirit. You will only cause more harm than good."

Zuko frowned again, unable to let go of his anger. He wasn't in any mood to listen to his uncle's wise words. He was too angry with himself. He felt his palms heat up, and Iroh's grip on Zuko's head suddenly hardened. His breathing halted, as he felt his core body temperature rise rapidly from his head. His vision blurred. Was his uncle… giving him a forced heatstroke? He took a last look at Iroh's apologetic face before falling forward, loosing consciousness.

"I'm sorry, Zuko," Iroh mumbled. "We'll talk again when you are better… there is… much you need to hear."

* * *

A/N: It's been two weeks... My apologies. Although I said I would try and update every week, I have obviously been unsuccessful -_- I'll be out of state next weekend, so It's going to be another two weeks until I update the next chapter *Hides in the corner in shame* And I know it's not much, but every week I miss, I'll add another 500-1,000 words to the chapter, as I have done to this one!  
Anyways, this was a pretty action packed chapter, eh? The next few chapters will be more dialogue based, and I'll be revealing bits of the truth here and there (: I have yet to decide if I'm going to make Aang the avatar. As of now, I am leaning towards a 'no'. I know Aang's timeline doesn't make any sense because technically he could be over a 100. But for the sake of my story, let's say he was born 15 years ago.

Don't forget to review! :D If you guys have any questions or confusion I'd be happy to answer as long as it doesn't give away anything too big (; See you soon!


	17. The Truth of the Past

Chapter 17: The Truth of the Past

* * *

The morning sunlight bounced off the trees and slipped through the large windows, illuminating the room. The birds chirped cheerfully, and the wind blew through the small village, passing by a giant statue of an armored woman in green.

Zuko blinked. He felt as if he was still dreaming, there were hazy pictures of people running past, and muffled shouts that seemed so far away. He closed his eyes, exhausted. What was going on? He didn't want to know. Everything was confusing; all he wanted to do was to drift off again into a peaceful state he was in before.

The next time Zuko felt awake was when he felt something trace across his face. Instinctively, his eyes shot open to see a girl yelp, and pull back her hand in shock. He blinked a few times; to make sure he was truly awake. He slowly pulled his hand into view, experimenting the maneuverability of his fingers. He breathed, feeling the air rush into his lungs. He glanced around the room, only to find unfamiliar faces. He finally looked back the girl before and sat up.

"Where am I?" he suddenly asked. The girl stepped back, slightly, pulling her fingers near her mouth.

"R-Recovery Center…" she stammered. "Kyoshi Island… I'll go call the doctor!"

"Wait!" Zuko reached out to the girl to stop her. "Where is everyone else?"

"E-Emergency Care," she stuttered before turning and running out of the room.

Zuko frowned. Why was she so afraid of him? And they were in the emergency care? His heart constricted, remembering what happened. His uncle had deliberately transferred a dangerous amount of heat to his body to knock him out. It was a complicated, yet simple trick to use when defeating weaker opponents. Zuko felt confusion and anger cloud his head again and pulled a hand up to his forehead. If he was being honest, Zuko felt slightly grateful his uncle had done that, he had been hyperventilating with exhaustion over the verdict of Katara.

He sighed, and mediated on his breathing. It was the first time in what seemed like forever, he was able to sit comfortably and think. There was a lot he needed to ask his uncle. After a moment of silent breathing, a shuffling sound of footsteps approached him.

"Zuko?"

He glanced up at the call of his name, only to see his uncle walk in through the door.

"Uncle…" he breathed, not sure what to feel.

"How are you feeling?" He asked seriously, when two other people walked in after him.

"Zuko!" Aang chirped happily, jumping into the room.

"Finally," Toph sighed. "I thought you were never going to wake up."

Zuko frowned and began to slide his body off the bed. "How long was I out?" He looked towards his uncle for an answer, while twisting his body to feel for any aches and pain. Surprisingly, he felt none.

"About a week," he simply stated.

Zuko's jaw dropped. _A week? _He had been out for that long? "W-What?" he stammered. He swallowed his anxiety and looked towards his visitors. "And… Katara?"

"They are both fine, nephew," he replied. He stroked his beard and slightly raised his eyebrow. "In fact, I think you should go visit the siblings."

He nodded slowly. Katara was okay. She was alive. He would be able to see her again. Tears of relief threatened to escape his eyes, but he pulled them back with a deep breath, and closed his eyes.

"Okay, let's go."

* * *

The village was an unfamiliar territory to Zuko. He had always lived in the mountains, away from the community of people that made up what was called a 'village'. Wooden houses were built next to each other, food stands were open, children were running around the hill playing with each other, and Zuko felt this island was swarming with life. Warm rays of sunlight poured down oh his face. He felt his inner fire flare at the sun's energy. They four began to walk up a small hill to a large house at the top, when he noticed Toph's strange attire.

"Toph," he began. "Why aren't you wearing shoes? Don't your feet hurt?" Zuko frowned at the girl, waiting for her response. She had anklets and material on the top of her foot, as if she deliberately didn't want anything under her feet. He noticed Aang smirked slightly at Toph, and suddenly trip on a large rock that Zuko swore wasn't there before.

"Hey!" Aang yelled, stumbling to regain his balance.

"I hate shoes," she replied nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened. "I can't see if I can't feel."

Zuko raised an eyebrow, confused at what she said. Was she depicting a wise metaphor as his uncle does? She definitely didn't seem like the type.

"I'm blind, Zuko," she finally said, turning her face in his direction. Zuko noticed the haze in her eyes; gray clouds hovered in her irises. He stopped walking.

"Er—What?" He waited. Frowning at the girl, waiting for a '_just kidding!'_ or a joking laugh. There was none. And uncomfortable silence filled the air. "Then… how do you earthbend?"

"I see through earthbending," she stated. "Because I'm blind, I can catch the slightest of vibrations through the earth with my other senses. It's like I see with my feet. I can even feel your heartbeat."

"That's…" Zuko breathed. "Crazy." He finished, still unsure of how Toph was able to walk around normally, much less earthbend. She shrugged, and walked first into the large wooden house. The three men followed quickly after her, and entered into another room in the back. There were a few beds spread across the floor, when Zuko spotted Katara in the farthest one in the back.

"Katara…" he muttered to no one in particular, his strides lengthening; eager to see her.

"Careful, Zuko," Iroh said to him. "They are both recovering on their own." He nodded in response, not really listening to his uncle. He walked to the side of her bed and looked down at her. Much of her color had returned, and her face seemed peaceful and steady, sleeping quietly under the blankets. He felt the weight of the world leave his shoulders, seeing her safe and sound. He turned the next bed, to see Sokka resting in a similar manner. There were bandages and gauzes wrapped around his head and face, hiding the injuries he had sustained over the days.

"It's best not to wake either of them."

Zuko turned to see a tall older woman in white, walk in with a short gray haired man. He immediately assumed she was the doctor. She walked over to Katara and laid her hand over Katara's forehead, then did the same for Sokka.

"I see you are up and fully recovered," she remarked at Zuko. He quickly gave her a bow and cleared his throat.

"Yes, thank you for your help," he replied. He had really meant it. She shook her head and smiled.

"You were quite a mess when you came in," She responded honestly. "But not as bad as these siblings. I had to patch up the brother nearly every inch of his body… but for the sister, there wasn't much I could do."

Zuko's heart froze, he prayed that wasn't what he thought it meant. Wasn't she getting better? What did she mean that she didn't do anything? He gave her a look of confusion before the lady walked over to Katara again and gently lifted the blanket. She carefully lifted Katara's shirt and exposed her clean, toned stomach. Zuko almost gasped in embarrassment, but kept his gaze down.

_Wait. Clean stomach? _

Zuko glanced back at Katara's skin and frowned. There was a thin red line that extended from the top of her bellybutton to the covered area of her chest, but nothing more.

"Uncle…" he said, not lifting his gaze from Katara's stomach. "Wasn't she hit by lightning?"

Iroh remained silent, not meeting his eyes. Zuko finally brought his eyes towards the doctor. "What's going on? You said you didn't do anything?"

The older woman just sighed, and gave him a small frown. "I don't know. I haven't seen anything like it. She just rapidly healed on her own." She pulled down Katara's shirt, covering her body again under a blanket. "Every day I checked up on her, the lightning scar would have healed drastically, until it came to this thin line as you see it. When she first came in, the injury had covered her entire stomach and back, but now it has been reduced to this."

Zuko continued to stare at Katara. Just what was going on with her? He was immensely thankful she wasn't dying or getting worse, but the unnatural speed in which she healed, worried him. There was a thick silence that hung in the air until the doctor cleared her throat and began to take her belongings.

"Other than that, they will both be okay, I am sure of it," She turned to the old man who walked in behind her and gave him a small smile. "Oyaji, I must return to my village for there are other patients waiting for me. Send me a messenger when these two wake up."

"I am grateful for your help on such a short notice," he replied with an inclination of his head. "I wish you safety on your travel back, and will update you when needed." She gave a soft smile to the old man, as she walked out, nodding in farewell to Aang and Toph near the door.

The old man with kind eyes, looked towards Zuko and Iroh. "It is fortunate she was able to come and help you," he said. "I officially welcome you to the village." The two firebenders bowed simultaneously, and thanked the man. He turned to Aang and Toph with a smile. "And I must thank you youngsters, you have saved my village again. Truly, I am in your debt."

Aang waved his hands in front of him in protest. "I only did what was needed, sir Oyaji. Your warriors need rest." The old man gave another smile to the beaming duo in front of him and began to walk out.

"I must get going, feel free to explore the village. We may not have much, but peace is always welcomed here." Iroh and Zuko nodded, giving the old man one last smile before he walked out.

"Zuko," his uncle called after a long silence. He turned his head, surprised to see serious faces plastered on the three of them. "We should leave them to rest." He paused, giving Zuko a concerned look. "There… is someone you should meet."

He raised an eyebrow, wondering who this person was. He was reluctant to walk away from Katara again, but he knew she needed her rest. There was nothing he could do for her as of now. He quietly sighed, and brought his full attention to his uncle.

"Who?" he casually inquired, partly curious.

"It's not someone you know of, but she knows of you," he replied. Zuko frowned, not liking the scenario. Some woman who he didn't know wanted to see him. _Strange._ "Nephew, I am sure you have many questions you would like answers for," he continued. "She can give you the answers, much better than I can."

Zuko shifted his eyes and sighed. There were so many questions and confusion buzzing around his head, he didn't know what was what anymore. It was true; his steady, peaceful life had turned upside down so quickly. Ever since Katara saved him after he ran away, everything had flipped into chaos.

"Okay" he finally gave in. "Where is she?"

A look of nervousness yet relief passed through Iroh's face. He gave a small smile and began to walk back. "I will take you to see her."

He breathed, steadying his heart. For some reason, he felt that whatever he was about to hear would be heavy to bear. After calming himself, he stepped out of the care room, following after his uncle, while Toph and Aang trailed behind him. He could tell there was some sort of serious atmosphere hanging down on them.

They walked upwards the hill again and into the woods. Zuko frowned, looking at his surroundings. They were clearly walking away from civilization and everyone else. The birds chirped through the woods and bounced of the trees. After climbing for about five minutes, Zuko saw a small wooden house in the back. It was secluded; yet close enough for a walking distance. Iroh stopped his march and looked back at Zuko with a sorrowful expression.

"Go on in," he urged. Zuko made a face at his uncle and looked back at the house.

"Aren't you coming with me?" he asked innocently. He was becoming more and more nervous with their suspicious behavior.

"No, my nephew," he shook his head. "This is something you must face… Go on, she is waiting."

Zuko took a step forward, a frown still plastered on his face. He took another unconfident step until he stood in front of the door. He turned back for the last time before lightly knocking on the wooden frame and slowly opening the door.

The first thing Zuko noticed was nothing. The room was completely dark with no windows or light, causing him to squint his eyes and glare into the room. Was this some kind of joke? Had his uncle and everyone decided to play a trick on him? He sighed in disappointment, wondering what was really going on. Maybe this was some kind of alone time that they thought he needed. He lowered himself on the hard floor and called fire to his palm. He screamed.

There was a silhouette of someone in front of him. The room suddenly seemed to get brighter, and the torches that Zuko could have sworn, weren't there before, lit up the room. An old woman sat in front of him, her hands folded neatly on her lap, and a small smile on her lips. Her eyes freaked Zuko out, as he noticed them to look clear, almost as if they were staring into his very soul. He pulled a hand to his mouth, embarrassed of his sudden scream. He expected his uncle or someone to come bust in but no one did. Zuko cleared his throat and stared at the old lady, giving her a small bow.

"Uhmm… I heard you wanted to see me," he began. _Great first impression,_ he thought.

Her clear eyes stared into his gold ones. "Zuko," she breathed. He shivered, her voice almost seemed out of place, as if it wasn't coming out of the small body in front of him. "Prince of fire, you have grown immensely. I'm sure you have many questions you wish to ask me."

Zuko gulped, and nodded. He didn't even know where to began. There were so many things that seemed off and unusual.

"Who… are you?" he began. "And how do you know me?"

The old lady closed her eyes and released a soft sigh. "I am the prophetess of this generation. The seer to the people and the mouth of the spirits."

Zuko stopped breathing. _Okay, so this lady is a highly spiritual person. _He let out deep breath and stared at the old lady, it was no wonder she looked so unusual.

"It was I, who spoke of the prophecy of the prince of fire seventeen years ago." He scratched his head, trying not to show his confusion and look stupid. Who was this 'prince of fire'? He could have sworn she called him that before. She opened her eyes again and looked straight at Zuko. "Your father…"

"You knew my father?" Zuko spluttered, interrupting her sentence. He leaned forward in impatience, eyes eager to hear what she was about to say. Every time he brought up the subject of his parents to his uncle, he had refused to say much of anything. He didn't even know their names; he had been trying to get his uncle to tell him, which resulted him in running out of the house that day. To know that someone was willing to talk about his parents filled him with nervous excitement. The old lady's smile seemed to widen with understanding.

"No child, I _know_ your father," she continued. "Many, many people know your father." He frowned again, not understanding the old lady's words. "He is—after all, Fire Lord Ozai, the ruler and the supreme king of the fire nation." The lady spoke quietly, yet an authoritative power rang through the small room.

Zuko blinked, and shook his head to make sure he had heard that right. He was in complete denial. There was no way. "My father…" he spluttered out. "You say, is Fire Lord Ozai?" Zuko could have asked that question a million times, yet still not believe the answer. It must have been a joke. He struggled to form words or thoughts in his mind. His father—whom Zuko thought to be dead—was the Fire Lord that everyone hated and feared. He froze. "Then…" his tongue seemed to dry up. "Princess Azula…" he couldn't finish the sentence.

"Is your one and only sister," she concluded for him. Zuko felt his entire body go numb. This was not happening. He didn't even know what to feel. The girl he was fighting on the ship, the princess he came to fear more than anyone, the one that had almost killed him and Katara… was his sister. Zuko's hands began to shake against his will.

"Then… then… why am I here?" he yelled, all his past anger, devastation, anxiety and frustration suddenly building up in his chest. "Was I… abandoned? Has my uncle lied to me my whole life?! Is he… even my uncle?" he choked out the last question, his throat tightening in fear. His voice rose and tears threatening to fall from his eyes. Was it sadness? Or anger? He didn't know. "How do I know to trust you anyways?"

"Calm your emotions, child," she simply replied, raising a hand. "All will be revealed in due time. I will tell you a story of the past, many years ago… when I was a blinded seer for your father."

* * *

_Seventeen years ago…_

_The spirit of celebration was in the air. A princess had been born to the fire nation. The daughter of fire was crowned in jewels and fine silk from over the world. She was cradled in the arms of her mother, Fire Lady Ursa. A small two-year-old prince was holding the free hand of his mother. _

_A few months later… _

_A messenger rushed into the palace, eager to get the important call to his Fire Lord. He approached the large double doors and fell to one knee, clasping his hands together. _

"_Fire Lord Ozai!" he called. "The seer is here to see you! It is said to be of high importance." _

_After a moment the large double doors opened, and an old woman walked past the messenger, and into the throne room. He clear eyes glanced around the room and fell upon the Fire Lord. He sat behind a wall of flames, flickering near the bottom of his face. _

"_Fire Lord," the prophetess began. "I have received a vision from the spirits. Clearer than anything before." _

"_You dare come into my presence again, even after I have warned you of your demise with your foolish predictions." _

_The old lady slightly flinched but did not back off. "Haven't these foolish predictions of mine turned into your reality?" she tested. "Fire Lord, you must learn to respect the spirits." The wall of fire blazed at her words. She could feel his anger emitting from his fire like an untamed animal._

"_You. Will. Learn respect, seer." His voice echoed dangerously throughout the hall. "I do not look towards anyone, for there is no one higher than I." _

_The old seer simply shook her head. There was once a time she admired the young Fire Lord's ambition, but things had changed. He was no longer the honorable man she knew. She saw that this would be the last and final prophecy she would give him._

"_The Blood General has returned," she began, ignoring the Fire Lord's glare. The fire subsided noticeably, as he looked down at the old woman in spite. He stayed silent, waiting for the old lady to explain herself. The name seemed familiar, but it did not click with anything in his head. "The one who commands an army by blood, who controls the skies and the waters below. Land he passes will shrivel and dry, ice will coat the earth in his wake."_

"_The ancient spirit of an old water tribe general," he repeated, his frown deepening in his forehead. He remembered the mentioning of the general long ago, but because there was so little information on it, he never bothered to remember the details. "And?" He finally growled, his patience dropping. _

"_If you—Fire Lord—can get your hands on the host, and control the powerful spirit, dominating the remaining nations will be in your grasp," she concluded, lightly regretting her words as soon as she said them. "The sheer potential the Blood General holds for destruction is unimaginable."_

_There was a silence, as the words sank in his mind. He would be known as the Phoenix King, the supreme ruler of the world. The taste of desire and ambition began to spread in his mouth. His chest rose with the flames, eager to hear and achieve what he wanted the most. Power. Ultimate, unparalleled, authority over the nations. _

"_However," the old lady interrupted his raging thoughts. He glared down at the seer, waiting for news that appeared to be unfavorable. "Your son, Zuko, is fated to kill the Blood General. He will destroy your greatest weapon and block your path to dominating the other nations, ultimately overthrowing you."_

"…_What?" He snarled, not asking for clarification. His anger began to rise infinitely, and the flames in front of him augmented with his rage. His own son—would dethrone him? Impossible. He would never let that happen. "Leave, your blasphemous claims are not accepted under my rule."_

"_You cannot avoid it," she forcibly continued. "He will slay the Blood General and end your reign as king. Your own son will be your fall, Fire Lord Ozai."_

"_Leave!" he yelled. The large double doors opened at his call, and two soldiers came running in. They grabbed the old lady by her arms and began to pull her out. She lightly struggled for balance, and glanced back at the man before her, knowing that it would be the last she saw of him._

"_It is destiny," she concluded, stepping out of the throne room. "He is destined to overthrow you. And you are destined to fall."_

_With her final words, the large doors slammed shut, leaving the outraged Fire Lord in the room. For a moment, he sat in the silence, unable to think of anything but his anger. He roared loudly, sending the flames to blaze towards the high ceiling. He breathed hard, as if he came back from an intense battle. Never. He would never allow his own son to overthrow him. He was powerful, invincible, the ruler of the mighty fire nation. Just as his murderous impulse was starting to lower, familiar footsteps echoed from the back of the room._

"_Ozai?" A soft voice called out to him. He turned to see Ursa walking up the steps, a concerned look on her face. She brushed her hand against his arm; Azula comfortably cuddled up in her other hand. "What happened? I heard the seer came to see you."_

_The flames roared again, as he though about her words. "Ozai," she quietly yelled, pulling her hand behind her. "You're scaring them." He looked down to see Zuko, peaking at him from behind Ursa's legs. _

'_He is destined to overthrow you'_

_Ozai frowned at his son, observing his large golden eyes that seemed to be nothing but pure and innocent. A threat. This small two-year-old boy that hid behind his mother was his biggest threat. Of course, he could have chosen to dismiss the seer's words and move on, but she was right. Whatever sorcery she used to speak her prophecies, they always came to be. A small spark of fear ignited as he stared down at Zuko. He wouldn't have it. Even if it was his son, there was no problem. All those who oppose him must be taken care of. He inwardly smiled, feeling the rush of his decision course through him. _

"_It's nothing to worry about," he coolly replied, looking back at her deep honey eyes. "There were some disagreements, but we came to a conclusion. She won't be coming back."_

_Ursa bit her lower lip, knowing not to question his words. She hadn't missed the odd stare he gave their son. An intuitive feeling of worry spread through her. She wasn't an ignorant woman or a Fire Lady for nothing. She had definitely heard him yell in frustration a moment before. _

"_If you say so," she softly replied, giving one last stroke on his pronounced cheek. She slowly turned, before catching a small spark of bloodlust in his eyes as he stared at their son again._

* * *

A/N: It is revealed! I'm sure you guys are connecting the pieces and figuring out the situation by now. If not, the next chapter will be the ultimate reveal. I'll be starting it off continuing the flashback, which will take up most or at least half of the next chapter. For all flashback scenes, I'll be changing perspectives without warning for you guys to get a better understanding of what happened. If you get lost or confused, just ask me! Don't be shy now :D  
I also sped up the timeline a bit for my story, so that Ozai takes the throne before Azula is born.  
A quick shout out to Skatzaa who took the time to convince me of making Toph and Aang together, and others who requested it! I'll do my best to give them a little love too.

Review and PM me if you have any questions or suggestions (: See you soon!


	18. What is Duty?

Chapter 18: What is Duty?

* * *

_A few weeks had passed and Ursa was getting nervous. Rumors were spreading around the capital about the seer's disappearance. She knew it had something to do with the meeting with Ozai, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Whatever it was, it made her uneasy. Before she had left, the old woman had spread around one message to the people: guard your nation, and wait for the prince of fire to return. The message sent chills down her spine. The prince of fire was unmistakably referring to Zuko, and the way Ozai occasionally looked at him, was frightening. He had casually dismissed the rumors with a wave of his hand, but she had seen the vexation shadow his face. _

"_Iroh," she breathed, gently brushing Zuko's head. "What am I to do?" She asked for the umpteenth time. They were sitting out in the garden, sipping tea, Zuko happily sitting on his mother's lap. _

"_Stay calm, my lady," he replied, bringing the tea cut to his lips. "I am watching over his movements closely and my soldiers are still looking out for the seer."_

_She let out a worried sigh, and felt a small hand suddenly pry into her robes. "Zuko!" she teasingly scolded, diverting her attention to her mischievous son. Iroh chuckled at his nephew. Ursa pulled out Zuko's hand from her chest and realized he was holding onto something. She had forgotten she was even wearing it. _

"_What is it?" Iroh curiously asked, raising an eyebrow. Ursa readjusted her robes in slight embarrassment and lifted the object for Iroh to see. _

"_This necklace…" she slowly said. "I found it in the Fire Lady's quarters a couple years ago. There were a few notes with it, all telling me that it has some kind of ability to protect the wielder."_

_She pried the stone from Zuko's fingers—much to his displeasure—and set the necklace in Iroh's waiting hand. He studied the carving in silence, flipping the jewel in his fingers experimentally. _

"_It looks like an ancient waterbending symbol if I were to be honest," he finally replied, resting the stone back into Zuko's eager hands. His rubbed his beard and frowned. Iroh had never felt that he was one close to the spirits. But he couldn't deny the fact that as he held the stone, there was a strange presence and aura emitting from it. _

"_Yes," Ursa nodded. "Some notes seem so old, they crumbled to pieces at my touch." Remembering the situation she was in, she silently sighed again and looked down at Zuko. "If it really can protect someone…" She pulled her hand behind her neck and carefully removed the chain, fastening it around her son. "…Please… protect Zuko." She pleaded with the jewel._

_Iroh closed his eyes and breathed. The temperature had dropped significantly compared to the recent weeks. He felt an odd chill climb up his back ever since the seer had disappeared. "Don't be worried," he urged Ursa, glancing at his nephew's delighted face. "I will keep a keen watch on Ozai."_

_..._

_The night had fallen, and not even the small animals that usually filled the hours of darkness with their chipper, made any noise. Ozai walked through the hall, his palms burning with high temperatures. The route was a familiar one, the path he took every time Ursa urged him to 'spend quality time with his children'. A wide smile stretched across his face as he walked through the darkness. His son would never overthrow him. Never. _

_He quietly opened the large door and walked into the room. It was as large as his chambers, the bed stretched out in the middle of the room. Ursa slept quietly under the covers, Azula gently sprawled out next to her. Zuko slept in a smaller bed next to his mother's, small bars attached to the side to prevent him to falling off._

_The Fire Lord's smile widened even further. His eyes glistened in the little light that was in the room. He approached his son, helpless and naïve to the situation around him. He felt his palms tingle with energy, as if he hadn't bended in weeks. _

_His son was an obstacle, a burden to his rise as the Phoenix King. He wouldn't have it. He couldn't. All enemies must be crushed. He was the Fire Lord, and no mercy was to be shown. _

_With his final thought, he called fire to his hands and casted a large ball of flame at Zuko. The bed lit immediately, spreading the fire at a rapid rate. A hysterical laugh echoed through the room. _

_Ursa was awake in an instant. A horrid orange glow illumined the room and a familiar laugh of triumph filled her ears. She shot her gaze to see her nightmare become her reality. The small bed next to hers was blazing, the fire roared towards the ceiling. She couldn't see Zuko. Ursa screamed. _

"_Zuko! No!" she wailed. She couldn't even hear her voice over the cracking of the fire. She jumped out of bed and slammed into something. Hysterical, she looked towards the owner of the laugh. Ozai stood next to her, laughing, bloodlust clear in his eyes, insanity echoing from his throat. Fear gripped Ursa. She couldn't move. Tears erupted from her eyes. The fire continued to burn Zuko's bed. She couldn't hear him._

_He had done it. Ozai continued to laugh, as he watched his son burn. The threat had been eliminated. As he laughed, he could barely hear Ursa's wails and cries through the blaze. Just as Ursa thought it was lost, the door burst opened again with Iroh charging in. He slammed into Ozai like a bull, sending the Fire Lord toppling with shock. _

"_Iroh!" Ursa wailed, her voice somewhat returning. The bed began to crumble, parts of the wood quickly burning and collapsing inward. _

"_Ozai! You…!" Iroh roared, fury evident in his voice. He crushed the Fire Lord against the glass cabinet, shattering all the fine china and expensive décor inside. Ozai simply laughed again, as gold met gold. _

"_It is done! He will never take my place!" he yelled gleefully. "He can never take my throne!" _

_Iroh punched Ozai straight in the face in disgust, fire erupting from his fists. A few men in armor rushed into the room, their faces somewhat familiar to Ursa. _

"_General Iroh!" He looked back from his attack that had momentarily stunned the Fire Lord. _

"_Take him away," he quickly ordered. The men nodded and ran towards Ozai, dragging his body out of the room. The bed collapsed inward as the fire spread through the sheets. _

"_Zuko...!" Ursa whimpered through her tears. Her throat clogged up in fear and devastation. She could barely hear Azula's cries as she woke up in blazing heat. Iroh jumped toward the flaming mess, and threw his hands into the fire. The heat suddenly disappeared, neutralized by Iroh's bending. He stayed silent, not wanting to remove the broken pieces of what was left of the bed. Ursa wailed Zuko's name, as her trembling hands reached out. She wouldn't believe it until she saw her son's burned corpse for herself. _

_Iroh stopped Ursa's reaching hand and gave her a lost look. He reached to the pile of searing wood and fabric, not caring about the pain as he removed the obstructions. His body froze as he traced over soft material. Overcoming the shock, he threw the remaining parts of the bed out of his view and saw Zuko. _

_Ursa gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. Zuko lay on his side, whimpering slightly, but looked to be asleep. His clothes and skin looked untouched, as if not a single hair on her son's body had been burned. Iroh gently lifted him from the broken mess when she saw the other side of his face. _

"_Oh spirits…" she whispered, tears still falling from her eyes. A large mark covered the left side of his face to his ear, the skin obviously burned and broken. A small wail escaped Zuko as he shifted, but kept his eyes closed. _

_A small blue light was visible from under his thin robes. Iroh slowly pulled back Zuko's clothes, revealing the necklace Ursa had given him in the afternoon, glowing a bright blue and pulsing with unknown energy._

"_Oh…" Ursa breathed. Her son was alive. Zuko was alive. "Do you think…?" she trailed off. She raised a trembling hand to her son's face, feeling the mark on his face, still hot to touch. _

_Iroh simply shook his head, staring bewildered at his nephew. He felt a sudden tug at his arm, as Ursa pushed a small blanket on Zuko. _

"_Iroh, please…" tears were threatening to fall again, but she pulled them back with a deep breath. She pushed Zuko further into his arms. "Take Zuko, get out of the palace… the capital, escape from the fire nation if you must, please." _

_The older man frowned. "You must come too—"_

"_No!" she firmly stated, shaking her head. "Ozai thinks Zuko is dead. If I leave with you, he will surely find us, and try to kill him for sure. I must stay at here, and protect Azula. Please, save Zuko." Ursa bit her trembling lips, trying to bite back the distress building up in her heart. She knew it was the only way. Ursa leaned forward, kissing Zuko on his forehead, and looked up at Iroh. "I will forever be trapped in this shame for asking you to do this… but there is no one else I trust."_

_Iroh breathed, calming his nerves. He wrapped Zuko around in the blanket and pulled his nephew into a firm grasp as he stood up. Ursa threw a large black sheet over Iroh's body and head, disguising the old Dragon of the West. No more words were exchanged between the two members of the royal family. They stood eye to eye, until Iroh gave a deep bow to Ursa and turned on his heel. _

_He ran, longer than he ever thought possible. Even as he passed the royal palace gate, or the central station of the capital, Iroh kept running, swearing he'd come back one day. _

* * *

Zuko never thought he would feel hate towards his parents. Although he didn't know much about them, he always considered them to be a nice farming couple of the fire nation, but involved in a misfortunate accident. This was no accident. His situation was no accident. He had surprisingly calmed down while the old lady talked, his emotions no longer running haywire. He had grown emotionless, in fact, as she continued to speak. His heart hardened, as he absorbed every word of the seer like a sponge.

"Prince Zuko," she called, after finishing her story. He flinched, not used to the title.

"I'm no prince," he blankly replied, inwardly shocked at how toneless his voice seemed. But it was true, he definitely didn't feel like a prince, nor was he every treated like one, heck—he lived pretty much all his life as a farmer.

"What Iroh did—was to protect you, child." Zuko felt a frown form in his head. He understood that, yet he still felt angry at being lied to. All his life, he had thought otherwise. All his life, his scar had been nothing more than the cause of an accidental fire when he was young. He brought his fingers up to his face, grazing his scar. It felt unnatural and different now, as if his skin had sunken or discolored more after learning the true reason behind it. It was something he always had growing up, and he had never felt angry about it—until now. Silent rage began to build up in his chest, thinking about his scar.

"Tell me…" his voice quieted to a low murmur. "What is this… Blood General Spirit? Did my fa—did Fire Lord Ozai—has he already captured him?" Zuko could feel the words catch in his throat. The old lady let out a deep breath, her clear eyes never leaving Zuko.

"Long ago, when the nations were splitting up into their respective elements, there was a war waging between the people of fire and water. They battled for dominance, attempting to designate which of the opposite elements were stronger. Within the water tribe, there was a feared general who was highly blessed in the art of bending." The old seer paused for a minute, watching Zuko for a reaction. "According to the spirits, he was never able to rest in peace. His presence stayed within the clan, possessing a waterbending child every hundreds of years. In his wake, he would destroy anything and anyone, causing more havoc as the child grew older and were unable to control their emotions."

Zuko frowned at the description. "If he becomes so uncontrollable, how could anyone command it? Much less the Fire Lord—" The old lady raised a hand to silence his interruption. Zuko quieted, and shrunk back, waiting for her to continue.

"Many children were sacrificed in order for the general's spirit to pass on peacefully. However, as I have stated seventeen years ago, the general has returned once again. And your father has not been able to have him, although he has been trying for many years."

Zuko flinched again at her words. He wanted to deny that such a man was his father. He breathed. "If the Fire Lord cannot even find him, how can I?"

The seer slightly raised an eyebrow at Zuko. "He is closer than you think, child." Zuko shifted his position closer, still not understanding what she meant. "He is called the Blood General because as he awakens, the eyes of the one he possesses will turn crimson. He holds no mercy and will create a path of blood wherever he goes… especially on the night of a full moon."

Zuko had never felt more slow-minded and dense than he did now. He knew that he wasn't the type to make deep connection in his life. But how could he not have noticed? Zuko stayed frozen at his spot, unable to process the look the old lady was giving him. Anybody could have traced the dots. His mouth seemed to dry in an instant, and his throat constricted. He didn't want to say it. It hurt more to think about it, than to admit that Fire Lord Ozai was his father. He wished, anything but _her. _

"Katara…" his voice barely audible. Zuko didn't even realize he said her name. It seemed to slip out instinctively. The seer stayed expressionless, not even batting an eyelid at her name.

"I have visited her, and seen her progress," she said. "She is truly the wielder of his spirit."

"You…" he mumbled, still in shock. "Visited her?"

"She heals at an alarming rate, due to the spirit inside her." Zuko lowered his gaze. _No wonder. _"It is his defense mechanism," she continued. "Because if she dies, so will he."

"Then... are you saying…" Zuko closed his eyes; he didn't want to hear it anymore. He wanted to forget all he had heard. Maybe if he closed his eyes long enough, he wouldn't remember any of it. He would happily walk back down the mountain and see Katara smiling, waiting for him as if nothing had ever happened. Only if.

"Yes," she breathed. "To free the spirit of the general, the host… must die."

Zuko forcibly pulled his eyes open, facing the old lady in front of him, unbelievably disgusted at his situation. "This… is ridiculous!" he shouted, pushing himself up to his feet. "There is no way! I'm not going to k-kill Katara!" Even implying it made his heart feel like it was being crushed. How could she dare ask him to do such a thing? "I—I…"

He frowned. What was he about to say? That he was her friend? That she was important? No, it was far beyond those feelings or thoughts, and he knew that. From the moment she had saved him, he knew there was something in her that had changed him. The way he his heart jumped a little when she smiled at him, or laughed at his stupidity. How his world seemed to end when she fell injured because of him.

The seer smiled sadly at him, her eyes understanding what he thought, even if he couldn't express it himself. "I am sorry, child, the road you walk on is thin and covered with thorns. However, there is duty you must fulfill, and honor you must uphold for your nation. They are waiting for your hand."

Zuko shook his head slowly. "Never… I can never hurt her. She has already done so much for me. I'm not going to sacrifice her life for the sake of my duty."

The old lady didn't seem surprised. "Even if it means risking the lives of everyone around her?" He flinched, not having an answer for her. "And what of her feelings?"

Zuko hadn't thought about that. He knew she wasn't a stupid girl. She must have caught onto something that was unusual about her. Before anything, Katara was the self-sacrificing type. Even if it meant hurting herself, as long as she would be helping other people, he knew she wouldn't hesitate. Would she run away? Refuse to see or meet anyone? Or even end her life? Zuko couldn't take that, if she decided to run away from the world, trying to protect it, he might as well follow her.

"I'll find a way," he spoke more confidently, gazing down at the old woman before him. "Definitely, I won't give in. Not to anything, not to fate, not to the world, and… not to my father." He bowed deeply to the old seer, honestly grateful for her words.

She gave him a wrinkly smile, the kind that Iroh often gave him when he mastered another fire bending technique. "Then may the spirits be with you, prince of fire. I will always be looking at what lies ahead."

Zuko nodded, giving her another respectful gesture. He breathed for a moment, taking in the silence and peace she had to offer. Feeling the old wood under his fingers, he gently pushed the door and stepped out of the room. It seemed to darken after his leave and her image seemed to fade into the shadows.

It was sunset. Before anything, his natural firebender instincts kicked in, informing him that the day was ending. How long had he been in there? He remembered he had trotted up the mountains mid afternoon.

"Zuko…"

He turned to the direction of a familiar voice. Iroh stood a few feet down the trail, looking up at him with an unreadable expression. Before he could think, Zuko walked forward, bringing his arms behind his uncle into a crushing hug.

"Zuko, I am so sorry…" Iroh mumbled. "I should have told you earlier… about everything. I will understand if you despise me." He shook his head in response, pulling back from the hug after a moment of silence.

"Don't be. Uncle, you've taken care of me, taught me… and loved me more than my own father ever would have." He could see Iroh's eyes water and look down. "I don't blame you for what you've done." Zuko could feel his heart break down, watching his uncle struggle. He pulled his uncle into another hug, feeling his heart truly calm and rest in his life. "Thank you for saving me."

The two stood in silence, each not wanting to break the true peace that finally seemed to settle within them. Iroh was the first to pull back, a thin smile on his face.

"I got a message that Katara has woken up," Iroh finally said. Zuko's eyes widened as he looked back up at his uncle. His heart skipped a beat. He smiled knowingly, putting a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Go see her, nephew."

A genuine smile broke out on Zuko's face as he turned to run down the hill. "Thanks, uncle."

"Don't get lost now!" Iroh yelled after him. "I know you still have no sense of direction!"

Zuko scoffed lightly and shook his head. He was glad his uncle hadn't said anything more about the situation. Everything had suddenly seemed so much brighter, after talking to his uncle and learning that Katara was awake. He practically flew down the trail, his legs extending far beyond what he stretched for. Zuko reached the familiar house in half the time it took him to climb up. He breathed, throwing himself into the room where Katara was.

He saw her head peak up at the sound of his footsteps. After locking eyes with him, her eyes slightly widened, as she pushed herself up to a sitting position.

"Zuko," she whispered, not taking her eyes off his. Her eyes still the stunning shade of blue he had remembered it to be. He had to admit; hearing her voice again was like a dream. After she was hit, he didn't know what would happen to her. His inner world seemed to celebrate and brighten when she said his name.

Wordless, he continued to walk towards her, pulling up a chair beside her bed. Her eyes waited, quiet for him to say something back. Without warning, he slumped forward and let his face fall above her knees, thankfully cushioned by the soft blankets. She let out a low gasp in surprise. "Z-Zuko…?"

"Don't…" he started. Trying to find the words. "Don't you ever do this to me again, Katara." His voice sounded hoarse and weak, as if he hadn't spoken in days. He turned his head to the side, so he wasn't facing her. If he did, he was afraid that he would be unable to control the tears that wanted to slip from his eyes.

"…I'm…sorry," she mumbled. Zuko felt something weigh on the side of his head, Katara's voice suddenly sounding a lot closer. "I just… didn't want to run away anymore."

Zuko's heart pounded loudly against his chest. He could feel her breath tickle the back of his neck, causing his whole body to lightly tense in some anticipation. He let out a deep breath, concentrating on calming his erratic heartbeat. How could he even dream of hurting her?

"I would have never forgiven myself if… you didn't wake up." He swallowed his words, not wanting to even mention the word 'died'. He felt her hand lightly smack the top of his head.

"Please, you know I've got more willpower than that…" she said. "I would never leave you… and Sokka." The corners of Zuko's mouth tugged into a small smile, hearing her sound a bit flustered.

"Yeah…" he breathed, his heart still beating loudly. "Welcome back, you crazy girl."

Katara felt a laugh escape her lips before she could stop it. She kept her hand on top of his head, casually twirling his hair between her fingers. She was actually glad he had turned the other way, the back of his head facing her. She couldn't explain the strange feeling of peace that settled in her stomach after seeing Zuko. And he had been right, Katara was immensely thankful she had survived.

The two stayed in silence, Katara still lightly resting her head on top of Zuko's. It had been an impulsive decision, as her body seemed to move of its own, but she didn't regret it. She listened to his quiet breathing, wondering what he was thinking. After realizing she didn't remember anything after she was hit, she frowned, and broke the silence.

"By the way, Zuko, where are we?" She inquired quietly, knowing that Sokka was still resting next to her. Only more silence answered her. Frowning, she leaned forward, and gently moved the raven hair that covered the top half of Zuko's face, wondering what he was thinking to ignore her. Katara released a low laugh, seeing his eyes closed and his upper body rise in a steady rhythm. He had completely fallen asleep.

"Good night, then," she murmured, feeling her eyes close soon after.

* * *

A/N: Aw, Zuko :,) He can finally close his eyes in peace.  
I kinda felt that this chapter was rushed and I didn't spend much time developing the feelings between Iroh and Zuko :/ My apologies, if you feel the same way too. However, I'm quite satisfied with the ending, and the sudden change to Katara's perspective. *Quiet squeal of happiness*  
Next chapter will be following an angry princess... and what exactly is going on in the fire nation. Heh.

Review:D and I'll see you guys in a week.


	19. Last Chance

Chapter 19: Last Chance

* * *

Azula stormed. She stalked through the hall, sending out dangerous vibes of 'do-not-talk-to-me'. Servants and soldiers practically threw themselves against the wall in order to avoid her deathly march down the chamber. This was the place she called home.

She hated it.

A scowl of disgust and aggravation knotted her eyebrows together, as she remembered her situation. She took an all too familiar route; towards the man she called her father. Not even bothering to be called, she forcibly pushed the large double doors open, knowing he would already be seated on his throne, awaiting her arrival.

The return trip back to the fire nation couldn't have been worse. Another ship had to be called, as Azula was dangerously close to completely destroying the first one—not like it was close to falling apart before. The two benders had completely wrecked her ship. Frustration and annoyance pent up in her skull, causing the air to dry around her. And that old man… she would have to do some extensive research to figure out his true identity.

"Azula."

She shot her gaze to the man behind the flames, his deep voice echoing throughout the room. She brought her forearm in front, and lowered her head in a swift motion, aversively submitting to his presence.

"So, you have returned," he continued, his head slightly cocking to the side in dangerous curiosity. "Advisor Kang is not with you?"

She knew it wasn't a question. It wasn't the first time Azula had returned without her 'watchdog'.

"My apologies," she flatly said, knowing any hint of emotion could send wrong signals. "There was an accident on board. He was unfortunately lost at sea."

"Pity," he simply responded. He didn't sound regretful at all. "And your prey?"

"Unsuccessful," she retorted, immediately feeling the rise in temperature. It would have cooked any other person, but she perfectly kept her body heat in a balanced state. It wasn't also the first time she had come back with an unsuccessful mission. She had expected his anger.

"You have taken countless men, lost them in your duty, and returned fruitless?" Azula could hear his voice rise, his anger augmenting the flames before him. She lowered her head even further, knowing not to say anything back. Technically, all the men she lost wasn't because of the mission, but simply because she needed to vent her anger somewhere. But he didn't need to know that. "Is there anything you have to report?"

Azula smiled, taking this as her chance. She raised her head, gold meeting gold. "Yes, father," a satisfied smirk creeping across her face. "The prey has fled to Kyoshi Island, where they are currently being sheltered. Unknown enemies guard them, and their abilities were not within my calculations. However, they are deeply wounded and won't be able to flee for some time."

"Wounded?" he repeated. "Have I not told you of the importance of bringing her to me alive?"

She slightly flinched, but kept her eyes forward. "They are minor injuries. To a degree she cannot maneuver, yet still survive." It is what she hoped. If she was being honest with herself, Azula had no idea if the girl was alive or not. She seemed to take a direct hit from her lightning, a feat no one had escaped from alive. Grumbling, she bit her tongue and kept her eyes forward.

"I see," he replied, his patience seemingly cut short. "You are dismissed. I will call you again when we prepare for the last assault." He paused and glared down at her with ominous energy. "And mark my words, Azula, it will be your _last._"

"Yes, father."

Azula lowered her head one last time, before turning on her heel and stepping out of the throne room.

She continued walking, knowing that she didn't have much time to research. She knew it was pointless asking her father about the old man and his nephew, Lee. No, it was Zuko. The name bounced around in her head, as she swore to figure out who they were. The old man especially. Fighting him once was enough. Azula could tell he was far more experienced than she, a master firebender who was knowledgeable about lightning generation. A firebending master—who she had never seen or heard of, it was all too unusual. But most of all, they both bore what she considered the cursed eye color—a golden hue that were an immediate indication of fire nation royalty. Azula frowned deeply, striding faster to approach her destination.

A large hexagonal room came into view as the smell of old paper filled her nose. Towering shelves of scrolls and books were stacked on each other to no end. She breathed, staring into the rows and rows of text. She had to start somewhere.

"Princess Azula?"

She turned sharply, mildly startling the old man that stood a few feet behind her. It was the old curator of the library. Her face stayed emotionless, yet the old man broke into a smile.

"It is you, princess," he continued. "Why, you haven't been in here for years. What can I help you with?" His wrinkly hands came together, awaiting her command.

Azula hesitated, but figured he was no threat. If anyone were going to start rumors about what she was searching for, it wouldn't be him. She remembered he had always treated her kindly, respecting her as a curious child, and not a murderous princess.

"I'm looking for text on fire nation history, specifically information related to the royal family."

The old curator paused, and shifted his eyes for a moment. "Of course, this way."

Azula followed him to the back of the room; silently wishing the shelves were marked somehow. She glanced over the stacks of scrolls piled on top of each other, threatening to crumble any moment. The old man pulled out a few books, and grazed his hand over the entire shelf.

"Fire nation history is marked on this row," he said, pointing to the top. "As you go down, there is information of the water tribe, the earth kingdom, and the air temples." He gave Azula a small glance, and handed her the books he had pulled out. "These are specific to the royal line. I do not know if it is what you are looking for, but they are all I can offer you."

Azula stared at the man in genuine thankfulness. "Thank you," she softly replied. Turning her attention towards the books, she accepted them in kind, and began flipping through the pages.

The first book was an entire list of all the Fire Lords, the successions, the period they ruled from, and the deeds they have accomplished. The text was unbelievably thick, she had no idea how ancient and immense the history was. The royal gallery illustrated the number of Fire Lords, yet there was no doubt the old portraits were removed in place of the newer ones. As she quickly scrolled through the first couple pages, a line caught her eye.

"Fire Lord Zong," she read to herself. "The sage who ended the first war of Shuǐ and Huǒ." She quickly translated the words in her head, _water and fire_. "Long live he, who defeated General Kuna of Shuǐ." Azula frowned. So there was a war between the fire nation and the water tribe long ago. She scowled, trying to decipher the dates, yet none of the characters were familiar to her. Huffing quietly, she skimmed through the rest of the page, before deciding the book was useless. She impatiently tossed the old book down, and picked up the other one, eager to find her answer. After tossing several other books and old scrolls, she settled on one of the newer looking prints—a book of lineage. Catching her breath, she flipped towards the back, grazing her finger down the page for any familiar names.

_Sozin—_Her great-grandfather, instigator of the Hundred Year War. She continued to run her finger down the multitudes of accomplishments done by the Fire Lord. _Azulon_—her grandfather. _Husband of Ilah, father of—_ her finger fell off the page. Azula blinked and frowned. She lifted the page to her horror, and found that it was torn. Fixing her gaze towards inside of the spine, she could tell another chapter of pages were forcibly torn out. She abruptly got up, sending bookings tumbling down her legs. She closed her eyes, feeling for a concentration of heat in the large room. Locating the old man again, she bolted forward, anger and confusion swelling her head.

"Princess…!" he jumped, startled at her sudden presence. Azula shoved the book towards his face, her voice aching to rise in anger.

"This book is torn. What happened?"

The old man widened his eyes, and lifted a shaking hand to the page. "I'm not sure, princess, perhaps there was an accident—"

"This is no accident," she replied, her voice lowering dangerously. "I can see the pages were torn cleanly, as if it was done deliberately." The old man seemed at loss for words. He quietly darted his eyes away from hers and let out a shaky breath. "Who did this?"

"Princess… I really—"

"I know you have been the guardian here for well over thirty years," she interrupted, her patience dropping. "If you do not know what happened to this book, I assume you are not taking your duty as the curator seriously." With that, she raised her free hand, letting a small blue flame ignite above her palm. The old man stepped back, a look of horror settled on his face. She continued to tend the fire as she glared down at him. "If… there happened to be an _accidental fire_ in the palace library today…" She calmly glanced at the man, a look of sadistic innocence in her eyes. "You and your household… will be the first to go."

Azula pushed her flaming hand towards the shelf; the fire now crackling in heat and small bursts of electricity shattered the silence.

"W-Wait!" he pleaded, dropping on his knees in fear. "P-Please, don't do this!"

"Why is the book torn?"

He closed his eyes roughly and looked away. "Lady—F-Fire Lady Ursa tore them!"

"My mother?" Azula stared wide-eyed, waiting for the man to continue. "She did…? Why? When was this? Speak!"

"I don't know why, princess—she came in many years ago and tore the book out. Please believe me, I really don't know anything else." The man trembled on the floor, his hands begging for understanding.

Azula stood, dumbfounded. Her mother had torn the book? Ursa was the last person she would have ever thought of doing such a thing. Quiet, she dissipated the fire in her hands, causing a weak sigh of relief to escape the old man's mouth. Her suspicions were becoming more and more real. Something didn't feel right with her situation. She unwillingly brought her gaze back to the man, a certain name sitting on her tongue.

"Tell me…" she quietly spoke, bending forward on one knee to face him. "What do you know of the name 'Zuko'?"

The curator's jaw dropped. Azula could see his pupils shrink in unknown fear, his lower lip quivering in dread. He pulled back slowly, shaking his head.

"I…I…"

Azula pressed forward, her eyes blazing with authority. "It's an order. Tell me." She could hear her voice rise, eager to hear what he needed to say. The hair behind her neck stood, as if every cell in her body was receptive to the new intelligence.

"Zuko…" He swallowed, looking defeated. "Is the name of your deceased brother…!"

Azula's mouth traced over the word again. _Brother. _She hadn't heard wrong. _Brother. _So the old guy hadn't lied to her. He wasn't delusional, as she claimed.

'_How can I attack my one and only niece with intent to kill?'_

Shivers ran up her spine, tingling her arms. She couldn't feel her hands anymore. She stared at the old man, yet her gaze seemed to slip right past him, as if nothing in the room appeared to her. But why did he say deceased? If that boy earlier was truly her brother, he seemed alive and well.

It seemed all too set up. The torn book. Proclaimed deceased. As if someone was forcefully trying to stop her from realizing his existence.

"Deceased?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"P-Prince Zuko passed with an illness seventeen years ago," he muttered back. "It also claimed the life of the great Dragon of the West, General Iroh." The old man's voice toned out. He looked as if his life was over. No hope, no assurance, no life. "I don't know where you heard that name, but since then, it's been decreed by the Fire Lord that no one speaks of them in this nation. My life… is as good as dead. But please! Princess—my family have nothing to do with this, please, at least spare them!"

Azula couldn't register the man's pleas. An illness. They were proclaimed dead from an illness. Just what exactly was going on? The mere fact that she had a brother sent her into waves of shock, yet he was somehow pronounced dead, when he was living well in the Earth Kingdom. She inwardly growled in frustration. She hated feeling so confused and helpless. Zuko was one matter, but the uncle was a whole another. It meant that he was her father's brother. Older brother it seemed. Which meant the crown prince, yet there he was, gaining age out in the wilderness of a small island. If all she assumed were certainly true, nothing made sense anymore. She brought a hand to her forehead, sighing with the overload of questions.

'_The great Dragon of the West…" _

Azula almost gasped. The name finally clicked in her brain. He was the almighty general who led the six hundred-day Siege of Ba Sing Se. It was a topic that she had glanced over, reading a history of renowned war generals.

General Iroh.

It was no wonder he had such a powerful aura. As much as he ticked her off with his careless remarks, or his unmotivated blows, she genuinely admitted she was stunned by his prowess over fire bending. Azula breathed and closed her eyes. Her emotions were starting to show again. She did her best to push back all the newfound information to the back of her head; it was something she had to take care of step by step. Asking her father was suicide. The next time she met the two of them, she would get her answers. Azula steeled her expression and stood up, keeping her eyes on the man before her.

"Your disloyalty to my father's commands will be overlooked this time," her voice had returned, empty and cold. "I will see to it. You are free to resume you duties as you have done before."

Without another word, she set her eyes straight and walked around the old man, dropping the book of lineage on the floor next to him. He remained in the same position, shaking and looking ahead.

Azula stepped out of the library and set herself into a speed walk towards the only white room in the entire palace. She knew the route like the back of her hand, cutting the corners and trying to arrive as quickly as possible. It was the first thing she should have checked up on upon returning, yet other matters had clouded her mind. Azula made her way past the hidden white doors in a small corner of the palace; a familiar smell of disinfectant filled her nose. It felt unusually sharp after months of being absent.

Two nurses behind the counter glanced up at her arrival and immediately stood to greet her unexpected presence. "Princess Azula." The two both bowed.

"Any change?" She immediately asked. It was the same question she asked every time she came. The answer was no different this time either.

One nurse shook her head and looked down. "My apologies, she is still the same."

She had expected it—yes, but she couldn't stop the feeling of disappointment that settled in her stomach afterwards. Azula gave them a curt nod, and began walking to the back room. One of the nurses coughed to say something, but the other one quickly elbowed her and gave her a stern look. Azula glanced away, acting as if she hadn't seen anything. Curious about what the nurse was about to say, she walked absentmindedly, until her hand reached for the familiar old doorknob.

She froze on the spot, her eyes widening.

Someone was inside. Azula could tell from the amount of body heat that she sensed, the person on the other side was no ordinary being. If she hadn't felt the heavy presence before, she would have been surprised, but it was unmistakable.

Azula braced herself and softly opened the door, coming eye to eye with the man in front of her.

"Father." Her toneless voice addressed. She was completely surprised to find him there, but she wouldn't allow her voice or her face to show it. Not once had he entered this room. Not once had he came to see her, until now. Azula understood what the two nurses were about to say to her now. Something was about to happen, and she felt her stomach twist in anticipation.

"Azula," he greeted, his voice unusually more cheerful than it should be. His eyebrows had lifted unnaturally, as if he was trying to look more approachable. "Your arrival is timely, there is something that needs to be discussed."

She inwardly rolled her eyes, knowing he was waiting there for her. She suppressed the urge to bring up the topic of Zuko and Iroh.

"What brings you here, father?"

He looked towards her, his eyes sparking with dangerous heat. "It is unacceptable that the water tribe girl has escaped your grasp once again."

Azula almost raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected him to bring that up. She stood in silence, waiting for him to continue.

"It is… truly unfortunate for me to say this," he began, not sounding concerned at all. "But it is time you need to be pulled by a bigger incentive. This is your final chance, Azula. If you cannot bring me the girl, I will no longer wait and be patient with your failings." Without losing eye contact, he reached down and pulled the covers off the patient on the bed.

Fire Lady Ursa was stretched out on the large white bed, giving no reactive movement that proved she was awake. Her pale skin contrasted greatly with her raven black hair that was spread neatly to the side of her face. Azula involuntarily flinched, and felt a frown crease her forehead as she watched the Fire Lord.

Her mother. Fire Lady Ursa. Knots of guilt and condemnation piled in Azula's throat looking at her mother, unconscious and unresponsive to everything around her.

"The lady has been sleeping for quite some time," he casually continued. "It is not benefitting of a Fire Lady to be unconscious like this." The sheets that were gripped by his hand began to burn, seared by the mere temperature of his skin. Azula grew alarmed, feeling her instincts kick up—he was attempting something dangerous. "If you are unable to capture the girl this last time, I will personally see to it… that she will not be here when you return."

"…Father!" Azula growled through her clenched teeth, her emotionless face finally cracking under the weight. She couldn't believe it. Her breath seemed to cut into pieces as she stared at the man before her. Infuriated, she glared at him, unable to find the words to snap back at him, she was utterly at his mercy.

"Azula," he snarled back. "How many years has it been since I've given you the order to capture her? How many times have you returned unsuccessful, hundred of my men gone? How many days have I waited to finally conquer the other nations? This is enough. Before I am your father, I am the Fire Lord. And there is no mercy or chances to those who fail me. You will no longer be an exception!"

"If you would only tell me who she is and why you need her!" she yelled back feeling her anger rise. She had never yelled at him like this before. "Why must you keep me in the dark? If you would tell me just what exactly she is, I could get a better understanding of how to capture her!"

"Do not provoke my anger, Azula." His eyes slightly widened murderously, as the sheet in his hand suddenly erupted into flames. Shocked, Azula instinctively plunged forward, and tossed the blazing sheet off her mother, neutralizing the flames with her own bending—extracting a noticeable amount of energy. Thankfully, the sheet under the first remained untouched and the blanket had torn from the Fire Lord's hand, burned into useless strands of string. The Fire Lady remained motionless, oblivious to the situation around her.

He stared at her, wordless, but she could feel his anger rising. Narrowing his eyes, he turned his head away and began to stride towards the door, his royal garments floating behind him.

"New soldiers and ships will be granted to you in three days time," he spoke, turning his head for the last time. "Remember, Azula, the life of the mother you loved so dearly… is in my hands now. I will not hesitate, if you fail me this time."

The door shut behind him, leaving Azula in bitter silence. She wanted to scream. She wanted to flip a table and burn everything and everyone who tried to calm her.

But she couldn't. Sighing quietly, she took another look towards her mother. Her expression softened, but she could feel her heart thicken in pain. There were so many things she wanted to ask her, and get answers for—about the book, about her brother, and about everything else wrong in life. But most of all, she wanted to see her mother awake again.

She mumbled an apology and let her head hang low. After what seemed like an hour, sitting alone in silence next to the Fire Lady, Azula stood, her eyes hardened and determined. She breathed. It wouldn't be the last time she saw her. She promised herself.

Azula quietly stepped out of the room, even though she knew no amount of noise she made would wake her mother. She stood quietly in front of the door, waiting for particularly nothing. Breathing again to control the remaining anger, she walked towards the entrance, and heard the two nurses whisper to each other.

"When is she leaving? This is the longest she's been in there."

"I don't know, but don't say anything, even the Fire Lord was here. It was probably serious."

"Why does she come here so much anyways? I heard she's the one who practically killed her own mother."

"Shhh! Don't say that! What if someone hears you?" The first nurse scoffed, adding a childish 'hmph' at the end.

"It's not just me. Everyone knows about it. One of the servants and the cooks told me…"

At this sentence, Azula walked out. She didn't give them a chance to gasp at their overheard gossip and beg for shallow forgiveness. She didn't even give them the time to scream. Her expressionless mask shadowed her face once again as she walked out, the smell of two freshly burned corpses hanging onto her clothes.

* * *

A/N: Detests her father, yet is everything like him. This concludes Azula's perspective.  
To be honest, writing this chapter was difficult, (which is why I'm late with the update). I'm not sure if it was the character or the content, but damn, I had a hard time. -.- Nevertheless, I hope you guys liked this chapter now that almost everything is revealed!  
Some chapters ago, I mentioned I would change Azula's personality a bit, due to her change in childhood. She now has a moderate guilty conscience. She will feel guilt, regret, and remorse. And I will explain my reasoning at the end (:

Review! And enlighten me with your impression, I'd love to hear them. *or, uh, read them.*


	20. Confessions

Chapter 20: Confessions

* * *

If waking up to a seemingly disturbed brother of the sister he had fallen asleep on wasn't awkward—he didn't know what was.

Zuko's eyes slowly pulled open at the rise of the sun. No matter how hard he tried going back to sleep, he knew it was pointless to attempt. Katara had curled up to the side, leaving Zuko's head snuggly fit between her thighs and chest. As uncomfortable his back felt, sitting on a chair all night, or feeling his neck protest from facing one way, Zuko had a good night sleep. He stretched out his sore muscles, careful not to wake Katara, and glanced around the room.

He met a pair of blue eyes that seemed to stare at him with an unreadable look. Zuko almost yelped in surprised; Sokka was awake. He coughed awkwardly, wondering what he was thinking. The two men continued to stare, neither one of them unsure of how to start the conversation. Swallowing his sudden nervousness, Zuko spoke up.

"Hey," he started, keeping his voice calm. "Glad to see you alive."

It probably wasn't the best time to crack a joke. Sokka briefly looked away, bringing a hand to his chest, feeling around for his injuries. He sighed and didn't attempt to sit up.

"Yeah," his husky voice cracked, looking back at Zuko again. "What happened? Where is this? I remember getting off the ship… and then she attacked us…"

Zuko took a sharp breath, not sure where to start. He didn't know what to leave in and what to take out. Everything seemed like a dream the past few days. Before deciding his words, another bearded man walked through the door.

"Uncle," Zuko called, glancing up at the old man. Sokka also turned his head to face the new arrival. Iroh smiled warmly at them, and walked besides Sokka's bed, reaching out with his hand.

"It's nice to see you awake. I am Zuko's uncle, Iroh. I hear you are the brother of the young lady over there?" Sokka similarly reached out and shook his hand.

"Sokka," he introduced, releasing his grasp. He looked back at Zuko, still waiting for an answer.

He cleared his throat and looked back from his uncle to Sokka. "Well, long story short, my uncle came to help us along with two other benders from the island, we were able to have her—" Zuko momentarily paused, not sure how to address Azula anymore. _My sister, the princess of the fire nation who tried to kill us all. No big deal._ "Er—Leave the island. And you and Katara are being treated here."

Sokka's eyes widened as he looked over the bed next to him. "Is she okay?"

Zuko stuck out his hands in some kind of defensive position. "She's fine now. Her injuries are all healed. She's just resting." If he had to be honest, Zuko didn't exactly want to tell Sokka his sister was hit by lightning. It wasn't really the greatest news someone would want to hear after waking up.

The brother let out a low sigh, retreating his gaze from Katara. "Of course." He muttered. Zuko slightly narrowed his eyes, not missing the last comment. "Well… then I must extend my gratitude to you both. I'm sorry for yelling at you on the ship, it looks like I'm in your debt."

Iroh was the first to respond. "Nonsense!" He waved his hand, his overly joyous voice unfit for the atmosphere. And pat Zuko on his back, _hard._ "I'm sure this nephew of mine was also a handful to deal with." He glared back at his uncle, not even bothering to try and prove him wrong. After a moment of understanding, Zuko realized that he had never asked his uncle anything.

"Uncle," he turned. "You owe me an explanation. What happened our house? And how did you know I was here?"

Iroh's smile slowly faded. "I guess I do owe you that one." The old general breathed, as if he was trying to recall the events. Zuko held his breath in anticipation. "After you left, some fire nation soldiers came to the house. I couldn't think of any other reason why they were in _that mountain_ in front of _that house_—I thought Ozai had finally found us. So I put the swords under the floor, attacked some of the men and ran."

Zuko stared at his uncle with a combination of disbelief and sarcastic amazement. "You… ran?"

"Fighting is not always the correct way, nephew," Iroh raised a hand. "I ran because, number 1—there were a lot of them, and number 2—I had thought that because they were looking for us, you were in trouble, so I went searching _for you_. Why waste energy on fighting them when I had to find you?"

"I guess…" Zuko mumbled back, still not believing his uncle—who could personally wipe out entire cities of people if he wanted to—ran.

"After a few days of searching, I left the mountain and saw the fire nation ship." Iroh continued. "I thought you had been taken because I had heard some soldiers saying. 'the target is finally captured', which turns out to be a huge misunderstanding on my part." Iroh chuckled, then realizing it wasn't a very appropriate thing to laugh about. "I followed the ship and ended up here. Thankfully on time, as well."

"So you were the one following us…" Zuko said. "A…Azula told me to watch out for you."

"Now did she?" his uncle mused. "Quite sharp of her. Although, I was quiet surprised to find you with two new friends. It's unfortunate the two of you were hurt. I'm glad you're making your recovery."

"Yes…" Sokka muttered. He had been quietly listening the entire time Iroh spoke, probably just as taken aback as Zuko was.

"Though I must ask of you Sokka," Iroh suddenly inquired. His face appeared much more serious than before, the usual worry-free tone, now all gone. "How much do you know of your sister?"

Sokka's face fell. Zuko could immediately tell this wasn't the usual meaning of _name-your-sister's-favorite-hobbies-and-talents_. He looked away like a child; obviously hesitant to reveal anything to a man he just met.

"This is important." He paused for a second, and glanced at Katara. "I am already aware of her situation, however I would like to hear it from your mouth." Both Zuko and Sokka gave him a frowning look. Just how much did his uncle know? Had he known all along about Katara as well? Zuko grumbled silently, there was so much he didn't know about his uncle anymore. "I'm here to help you, not hunt you down like everyone else seems to be doing."

Turning his head, Sokka remained silent. It was only after a few minutes that he began to speak up.

"When I was little, my parents told me that Katara was born special. Not because she could bend, or was one of the few waterbending children, not because she was the chief's daughter, not because she was stronger than most boys… but because she was cursed. Cursed by an ancestor, forever unwilling to leave the earth. I didn't understand what they meant when they told me, but it all clicked one day. It was twelve years ago, the fire nation attacked my tribe, and the Fire Lord himself took part in the assault. It was a massacre. I remember hiding in a corner with Katara in my arms, while my parents did their best to talk him out. Everything was on fire, and when I thought I was going to die... the thing inside Katara awoke." Sokka closed his eyes. Zuko could feel the silence weigh down on him. He had already seen it once, and it wasn't something he wanted to see again. He knew exactly what Sokka was describing. "Dozens of people were involved in the casualties. Women, children, men, fire nation soldiers… she killed all of them, mercilessly. It was only when she was hit by an attack from the Fire Lord, she fell. My dad grabbed us, and told me to run, and to keep running. I couldn't remember anything else after that. I didn't dare return home, and to this day, I still don't know what happened to everyone…"

The room filled with stillness. No one moved a muscle or made a noise after he finished. Zuko could feel his heart squeeze with a feeling of guilt. Iroh bowed his head deeply, surprising him.

"I'm sorry. Truly, I don't have the right words to say to you. All I know is that I am truly ashamed."

"Don't be. You have no fault in this matter. Only I am sorry to drag you into this mess."

Iroh shook his head. "No, this is the result of my incompetence... Fire Lord Ozai is my younger brother, after all."

Sokka suddenly whipped his face to meet Iroh's, his eyes wide with shock. He seemed to stop breathing all together. "Is… that… true?" his voice barely a whisper. "You're… brothers?"

Iroh nodded once. "It's up to you if you want to believe me. I was once part of the fire nation royal family… and so was Zuko." He laid a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "After he tried to kill my nephew, I ran out of the palace, and went into hiding. Zuko didn't actually know all of this until yesterday. Don't hate him for it. If you want to direct your hate towards anyone, I will understand and gladly take it."

Zuko mouth opened, as he stared at his uncle. He remained quiet, watching Sokka for any reaction. He also seemed speechless, taken aback by the new information. Iroh waited, his face dejected and ashamed. Zuko similarly put his head down. He didn't want Sokka to know his relation with the man who ruined everyone's lives. Especially not to Katara, he didn't want to lie to her, yet he was afraid of what she would say.

"No…" Sokka whispered. "I believe you. Although I don't want to believe you... your eyes… are just like his."

Iroh sighed through his nose and stroked his beard. "You're right. Eyes like ours… are known for running through the family. It's like a curse if you ask me, never goes away…"

Zuko reached up to his face, and wished he had a mirror to look at his eyes. He never thought his eye color was unusual, or was some kind of cursed color that marked the royal family apart form everyone else. He finally realized why he never went to the fire nation, not only would it be suicide and pointless, but everyone would be able to recognize the eye color as royal, as a prince. He remembered when Sokka had first met him; he had broken out in anger about it. It made perfect sense now. He scowled, feeling his fingers trace over his scar, the rough remains of his injury suddenly felt hot to touch.

"I don't blame you either," Sokka continued. "I'm not that heartless to blame the people who saved me. The only person I blame is the Fire Lord, when I don't even know why he's after us."

Zuko involuntarily flinched, remembering the old lady's words.

"There was a prophecy long ago, that said if he can capture her, he could take over the world with the spirit's power," Iroh bluntly stated. Zuko quietly released a heavy sigh, thankful that he hadn't mentioned the part about him having to kill Katara. Did he know that part as well?

"That's… insane!" Sokka shouted. "That thing can't be controlled." He frowned, and gasped, clutching near his chest.

"Steady…" Iroh calmed. "I was told you have multiple broken ribs, and other injuries everywhere. Don't be so worked up."

"Then…" Sokka gasped, his breathing still cut. "He only wants to use her like a machine to kill everyone?"

Only silence answered him. Iroh huffed through his nose, and Zuko looked down again. He hadn't met his father, but he really wanted to give him a good fist of fire to his face.

"That's why we're fighting back," Iroh slowly answered. He turned to face Zuko fully, a look of resolve on his face. "Zuko, I know I've kept you in the dark all this time, but it's time we stop running. Are you ready to face your father?"

Zuko didn't even think. He would fight back against everything. He nodded once. "I am."

Iroh broke into a grin. "Well that's a relief." He sighed in satisfaction. "Azula has already seen my face, so we really don't have a choice now anyways. "

"Thanks, uncle," Zuko sarcastically muttered, shaking his head.

The two firebenders turned to Sokka, his breathing still in pieces. Iroh pushed Sokka's body, turning it to the side. "Take deep breaths. I won't ask you to fight, but what are you planning to do after they come back to this island? Because I assure you, they are already aware of our stay here."

Sokka seemed to hesitate and Zuko completely understood. Who would want to enter into a war that they've been trying to avoid for the last decade? No one. But for him, this was personal. It was time he stepped out and faced his destiny straight in the eye.

"We will fight."

All three men turned around to the voice. Katara was sitting up in her bed, staring back at them.

"Katara…" Sokka and Zuko simultaneously called. A feeling of absolute horror thickened in his throat. How long had she been awake? Sokka looked no different.

"Katara!" Iroh chirped happily, unfazed by the situation. "It's nice to see you awake and healthy."

She smiled back at him with the same energy, unfocused on the two shocked boys before her. "It's nice to meet you too, uh, sir Iroh"

"Please," he replied smoothly. "Just Iroh is fine."

How did Katara know his uncle's name? He held back a gasp.

'_It's nice to see you awake. I am Zuko's uncle, Iroh. I hear you are the brother of the young lady over there?'_

"Katara…" Zuko slowly said. "How long have you been awake?"

She turned her attention to him, her smile still on her lips. "Since you woke up."

Sokka choked.

Zuko almost did as well.

"Nephew, you still have a long way to go," Iroh casually commented. "I have mentioned body temperature increases as a person wakes up."

Zuko almost growled at his uncle. So it was his fault he didn't realize she had awoken, while his uncle had known all along. Was the whole conversation set up for Katara to hear? Zuko had thought his uncle was strangely more talkative than usual.

Katara's smiled slowly faded, as her eyes casted down. "So, I ended up hearing everything… about you… and your father… and about me…" she trailed off. "I'm a monster aren't I?"

Sokka suddenly pushed himself up, surprising Zuko. "Katara—I—what you heard…" He cursed, grasped his abdomen in pain. "I—I didn't mean that. Please don't—" He gasped for air.

Katara rose in panic. She jumped over to the side of his bed, startling Zuko. "Sokka? Don't speak anymore, lay back down!" She gently pushed his shoulders, forcing him to press his back against the sheets.

"You're not… a monster…" Sokka's voice became hoarse again. "You're… my little sister…" He closed his eyes, as his ragged breathing pursued.

"H-Hold on," Katara mumbled, sounding as if she was about to cry. She waved her hand as the cup of water next to her bed flew towards her hand. She fumbled with the sheets, and undid his robe. "I'll heal you in just a minute, hold on!" Folding the water around her hand she pressed down just below Sokka's chest, a familiar blue glow showered the room.

Zuko could only watch. He and Iroh instinctively stepped back, not wanting to interfere. He felt completely crushed. She had heard everything about him, and about his father. How was he supposed to face her now? _Sorry, my dad's trying to capture you, while my sister almost killed you. _Zuko mentally slapped himself. She would hate him. In fact, the whole reason why she was on the run was because of his father. He claimed he would protect her, yet it was his fault in the first place. _How ironic, _he thought to himself. _Of course she'll hate me. _Zuko took another step back, as he drowned in his thoughts. Katara hadn't said a word to him yet, but his world had already began to break. The mere thought of her looking at him with eyes of hate, filled Zuko with fear and emptiness.

"Iroh…" she quietly called. The room had been silent for a while, as Katara worked on healing her brother.

The old man raised and eyebrow, and approached her. "Yes?"

"I want to fight back," she replied. "I don't want to run anymore." She kept her eyes focused on Sokka, but her voice held firm. "When do you think they'll be back?"

Iroh sighed as he closed he eyes, a small frown forming on his face. "It takes about five days to cross the distance between the fire nation and these islands." He paused, tapping his beard as if it'll rekindle an old memory. "Assuming that they'll be arriving fully prepared, it'll be four to five more days. I'll say fifteen days max."

"Fifteen…" Katara whispered, her face twisting in distress.

Iroh's expression hardened as he looked back at her. "It's already been nine days since princess Azula left. There's really only six days left. Can you completely heal him by then?"

"I… don't know," she muttered back. "His ribs cut through one of his lungs, his head is slightly cracked… and there's a lot of other injuries. I… don't think I can do it."

"Don't say that." Iroh shook his head.

"Just… leave me…" Sokka murmured in pain.

"I can't!" Katara yelled back. "What if they capture you again? I wouldn't be able to handle it if you… if they take you again, because of me."

Silence filled the air again, as no one had any words to respond with.

"What's with all the yelling so early in the morning?"

Zuko turned his head towards the door, when Toph walked in looking aggravated, Aang following behind her.

"So you guys are awake, huh?" she cocked her head to the side, looking in the general direction of where Katara and Sokka were.

"Apologies, Toph," Iroh said with a small smile. "We're just trying to figure things out."

She slightly shook her head and sat herself on the bed next to Sokka's. Aang smiled, glancing at everyone in the room.

"I heard you talking about the days left," she continued, trying to sound casual. "Is that pompy girl coming back?"

Iroh sighed. "Undoubtedly, yes."

"Then we just gotta beat her down again, no?"

Zuko was inwardly amazed. This girl who was two heads shorter than him, not to mention blind, faced Azula. His body slightly trembled, remembering her prowess, and the sheer energy that sparked at her fingertips as she prepared to finish them all. Toph had said it like a quick and easy task.

"It's not that simple this time." He simply replied. "If my thinking is correct, they'll bring in more soldiers, and this entire town of innocent people might get involved. It'll be killing two birds with one stone for their side. We definitely can't let them attack the villagers here."

"I see your problem," Aang chimed in, sitting down next to Toph. "What about the Unagi?"

Toph seemed to roll her eyes. "It won't work again, twinkle toes. You might have used it once, but it's too risky to try again. Besides, I don't think it'll want to be anywhere near those huge metal ships." Aang pouted in disappointment.

In the short silence, Katara quietly sighed and pulled her hand away from Sokka's chest.

"How is he?" Iroh shortly asked.

"I was able to clear the lung, but it's still quite damaged, not to mention the broken ribs…" Katara hung her head low, taking deep breaths.

"You've done well already," Iroh patted her back.

"You're really something," laughed Toph. "It's only been a little more than a week since I found you half dead in the forest."

"Thanks," Katara muttered back, Zuko could tell she felt pride, yet discomfort with the situation. He sat the furthest away from everyone, still feeling overwhelmed and unfit for the circumstances.

"So, the main problem is the villagers that might get involved, right?" Aang spoke up. "And we can't leave him here," gesturing to Sokka. "Nor can we bring an injured person to a battlefield."

"Then leave him to us."

All eyes turned towards the door. A woman stood at the doorframe, clad in green robes and armor. Her entire face was covered with white makeup, sharply contrasting against the red paint that stained the bridge of her nose to the sides of her forehead. Her dark brown hair cut off above her soldiers, giving her a fierce appearance. Two more girls dressed similarly stood behind her.

"Suki." Aang and Toph said in unison. Aang stood, a concerned expression on his face. "Is it okay for you to be moving around already?"

The girl waved a hand and stared back. "It is unfitting of a warrior to be in bed with no injuries." She smiled playfully. "Everyone has made their recovery, it's about time we stand to protect the island again."

Aang loosened his frown and looked back to the others in the room. Zuko observed the new girl, wondering what her face looked like without all the makeup.

"Guys, this is Suki," the tattooed boy introduced. "She leads the group of Kyoshi Warriors in this village."

Katara and Iroh smiled, warmly introducing themselves as any normal person would. Zuko simply nodded his head, his gaze ultimately drifting back to Katara's smiling face. His heart rippled, and he could feel the muscles near his mouth, try and pull it into the same smile. Curse it. He had no right to feel this way at all.

"I heard the details from Oyaji," Suki said, interrupting his crushing thoughts. "And I have a plan."

The room quieted, everyone looking surprised at her words. Iroh smiled.

"Any idea is welcome."

* * *

A/N: I'm late, I know. (Sorry -.-) School is starting again, I graciously got the stomach flu last week, and now I'm here.  
I just realized the chapter title can refer to a different kind of 'confessions'. Haha I apologize if I crushed anyone's hopes. The other 'confessions' will happen though, I assure you (: Another reason why the chapter's late is because I still haven't set the plot details in stone. I've been having a lack of creativity to pull it all together. Although this chapter was pretty bland and practically no action, a big battle is coming up, (but not the final one ;)) and it'll be epic, I promise.

I'm not sure myself when I'll get to finish the next chapter, but hopefully soon!  
And your reviews always motivate me, thank you guests— Kate, cait, NHEE— it sucks I can't directly reply to you.


	21. Trust Me

Chapter 21: Trust Me

* * *

Zuko didn't need _The_ _Guidebook to Women's Logic_ in order to understand that Katara now hated him with every fiber of her being. She had constantly avoided any sort of contact or communication the past few days, simply walking past him as if he never existed. As a man, all Zuko could do was sit in a corner and inwardly cry to himself.

One part of him was angry. He obviously didn't mean to deceive her; he would never do something like that. It was something he found out about himself as well, the timing just happened to be bad. There was also nothing he could do about it. Zuko just happened to be stuck in the middle of some crazy prophecy, getting the short end of the stick in the end. Katara should have understood that.

But the other part of him accepted the situation. He was the son of the Fire Lord for goodness sake. He was practically born her enemy. No matter how much he wanted to avoid it, he had to face his father someday; he couldn't keep running away forever. Especially since he was after Katara, they would never be able to live in peace if he remained on the throne. Maybe it was for the best. If Zuko had to kill Katara in the end, maybe it was better that they were on bad terms.

Zuko slapped himself.

Did he just think that? Three days past without talking to Katara, and he was already giving into his fate. Disgusting. He scowled deeply and retreated further into his mind, blocking out everything else. Hadn't he promised he would protect her no matter what? Hadn't he sworn to find a way to fight back against the prophecy? Zuko grumbled loudly, thankful no one was nearby. He buried his face into his hands, feeling his temperature rise with his unstable emotions.

"Zuko."

He had recognized the voice before his lifted his head, yet a part of him was disappointed, when he saw the person who called him wasn't Katara. Iroh stood at the door to their bedroom, watching him.

"Why are you still in here?" he asked, frowning. Zuko could hear the clear tone of disappointment in his voice. "There's still a lot to do."

He set his face down again, wondering himself. "I don't know," he replied honestly. Zuko brought his knees up to his chest, and rested his chin on his hands. He didn't exactly want to tell his uncle he was having girl problems.

"Is it Katara?"

Zuko could feel a stab through his chest at her name. It wasn't a surprise Iroh had gotten it right on the first guess. The old man had a talent for it. He remained silent, not bothering to respond back.

"Speak to me, nephew."

Giving into the conversation, he sighed. He had to spill his guts one day. "Uncle…" Zuko's voice sounded more husky than usual. "Is it impossible to go against what was destined? I don't want to hurt her, yet it's so unfair; I didn't ask to be born like this. What am I supposed to do? Is this how things are supposed to be? Is there really… nothing I can do about it?"

Iroh walked closer, sitting down on the bed in front of him. He sighed through his nose, and looked directly at Zuko.

"I suppose you can only accept it. There is no changing the past."

Zuko sulked, and buried his face deeper into his hands.

"However, even if the past cannot be changed, feelings can change." Iroh put a light hand on his shoulder. "You can blame your father, your fate, or even me, but that won't alter the way Katara thinks of you. You control yourself, nephew. If you sit here and sulk, do you think anything will change? Take the first step, the road isn't already made for you. Even if the whole world is against you, your future is one you carve for yourself."

Zuko kept his head down, feeling lost in his uncle's words. "I don't understand," he finally muttered. "Then what does that make of me?"

"You are the master of your destiny." Iroh stood and began to walk out again. "Talk to her, Zuko, only you can make her understand."

After sitting in silence, Zuko sighed. It had been a while since he had gotten a lecture from his uncle like that. He shook his head and slid out of bed, stretching out his cramped legs. Since he couldn't handle Katara hating him, he would just have to explain himself. Take the first step. With his final thought, Zuko stepped out of the room and walked outside.

"Only a few more families, girls! We can do this!"

Before the bright afternoon sunlight bombarded his face, Suki's voice loomed over the noise. He could only assume it was her by her voice. He already had a hard time remembering faces; the fact that all the warriors caked their faces with the same style of makeup didn't help the cause either. She carried two large baskets in each hand, shouting at her warriors with a strong voice. Villagers held their belongings in their arms, the heavier items carried by the female warriors. Each family walked up the road towards the mountain, mostly the elderly. All of the children had left the first day, eager to meet the children of the next village. Suki finally turned, and noticed Zuko.

"Well, finally came to help?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, sounding rather annoyed. Zuko couldn't blame her, he had been cooped up in his new room, sulking all by himself the past couple days.

"Er…" Zuko muttered. He was actually looking for Katara, but he didn't want to ignore the task in front of him.

Suki walked up to him, standing straight and looked boldly into his eyes. "Actually, don't bother." Zuko took a small step back, startled at the girl's sudden approach. He slightly frowned. "I mean it'd be better if you didn't. Nobody trusts you here, firebender. Oyaji may have graced you to stay here for the time being, but the people here fear the fire nation. They do no trust you, and _I_ do not trust you."

Zuko bit back a snarl. "That was a bit…"

"What?" Suki cocked her head to the side. "Do you want to disagree? To deny everything the fire nation did? Feel free. You know nothing of the people's suffering."

That was completely uncalled for. Zuko had seen plenty of what the fire nation had done. The soldiers burned his house, beat up Sokka, chased around innocent families, and sacrificed their own men. He might have not known about the war, but his experience with them thus far put a good idea in his head. Zuko wasn't anything like them. Sure, he was a firebender, sure, his father may be the Fire Lord, but that didn't mean he was the same. How dare she make such a comparison. His balled his fists and felt his anger raise rapidly, heat sparked widely around his body. She glanced down at his fists and frowned.

"Are you going to hit me?" she smirked. "I dare you to try. Go ahead and prove to these people that all you fire nation people are no good. Do it."

His fists shook. Before he could think further, Zuko raised his shoulder in an attempt to swing his fist. A strong hand grabbed his upper arm and the ground under him suddenly felt like quicksand. His legs plummeted into the earth, freezing him knee-deep into the ground. Zuko yelped in surprise and turned to see the young airbender grabbing his arm, looking straight down at him.

"Aang! Toph!" Suki's eyes widened the slightest.

"What are you doing, sparky?" Toph approached, her face in a slight frown. Her voice sounded calm, bored even.

_Sparky?_ Was she referring to him? Zuko's mouth opened the slightest.

"I…" he stammered. "I was just…" Zuko finally took a look around. A few villagers were gathering around, whispering to each other with eyes of fear.

"…Fire nation."

"…Dangerous."

"…Watch out."

Zuko's heart sank. Was the toll of being from the fire nation this great? He never understood it. Suki had provoked him, but he seriously lacked control over his emotions. He had practically proven himself to be no different than the other fire nation soldiers. His eyes fell down to his hand as he slowly released his fist, finger by finger. He lowered his arm and looked away. He couldn't even find the words to make a comeback.

"It's all right," Suki finally said. She looked towards the two benders behind him. "Let him be on his way."

The ground trembled under Zuko's feet as Toph released her fist in an upward motion. He rose from the earth, dirt covering his legs and feet. Aang gently released his hold on Zuko's arm. All eyes watched him, as he regained his balance and made his way away from the crowd. He lowered his head as if to apologize.

That was rash of him. If Aang and Toph hadn't stopped him, would he have really hit Suki? He could still feel the adrenaline rush through him, as if he emerged from a fight. Just what exactly was he doing?

"***"

Iroh trotted down from the mountain, taking in the crisp air. It had been a little over an hour since he talked with Zuko, and the pitiful expression of his nephew still glared in his mind. He needed a serious wakeup call. The village soon came into view, with three teenagers standing in the middle. He approached them with a smile, until he saw Suki's frowning face. The three glanced up at his arrival.

"Iroh," Suki somberly said.

"Did you do it?" he asked, even though it was written on their faces. She simply nodded and sighed quietly.

"It was rather… depressing." She gave a weak laugh. "He looked more hurt than I thought he would be."

Iroh closed his eyes and breathed. "I reckon so."

"Why ask us to say that to him?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. "If it was a test of control, I'd say he didn't pass."

Iroh laughed lightly and gave Suki a small pat on the head. "Thank you for you help. Although it would be rather amusing, it wasn't to test his control." He paused and scratched his beard. "It was to teach him."

"About what?" Aang inquired, curiosity beaming in his eyes.

"About what it means to be a firebender in this day, a royalty, no less." He replied solemnly. "While growing up, I always told him not to bend outside of our home, so Zuko has always been with with people who treated him well because they didn't know who he truly was. He has grown too accustomed to that and doesn't grasp how huge this battle will be, and what it means for him. I wanted Zuko to understand that what he will face now is completely different form what he experienced before. He will be rejected, hated, blamed at, people will not trust him, and he may experience the most loneliness he's ever felt in his entire life. I don't wish for him to walk into this war without knowing that. He must learn how to deal with it. He must accept it, sharpen his will and move on. That is what it means to be from the fire nation."

No one said a word as Iroh stared into the distance.

Suki finally broke the silence. "Should I continue to treat him that way?"

Iroh mused. "To a degree, if you will. There is still a lot for me to teach him." He gave her a small smile. "And you should also deem his trustworthy by your own judgment. Do not trust easily in war, any of you."

All three youths nodded, each holding a personal face of resolve. Iroh calmly reached for the baskets Suki held, and took them from her grip.

"I'll take these. West village, right?" She nodded again.

"Yes, thank you. What about Zuko?"

Iroh closed his eyes and breathed. "If he cannot right himself, I shall give him another talk after I return. Although I'd prefer not to." He turned to Aang and Toph. "Thank you guys, you youngsters are so helpful nowadays."

They all broke out into a small smile as Iroh once again trotted towards the mountain, yelling that he'd be back at sunset.

"***"

Zuko had never struggled more emotionally with himself than he did now. The villager's faces frozen in fear had imprinted in his mind. His hand trembled against his will, as he slowly pulled his fingers into a fist. He was stupid to try and hit Suki. Now that he thought about it, Zuko couldn't even remember why he was so angry. Was he really no different than his father and sister?

_No. _Zuko shook his head._ I'm not. I'm not like him. I won't be like him. We may share blood, but that doesn't mean we share hearts or intentions. I'm not like him. I have to apologize to Suki. I need to prove to her that I'm not like everyone else. _

His pride was crushed, knowing he did something so impulsive. There were so many things he had to fix; taking the first step wasn't an easy statement anymore.

Zuko sat outside of Sokka's room, knowing Katara was in there at the moment. If he were honest with himself, he didn't have the guts to walk in the room by himself. He sat a few meters away from the door, absentmindedly twirling fire between his fingers. He realized it was a bad habit of his whenever he couldn't sort out his feelings. He needed to talk to her and sort out the situation. Zuko twiddled his fingers, and waited for Katara to come out.

He almost fell asleep.

The sun had set long ago, leaving him in a dark room with a sore butt. The moonlight illuminated the walls with a light blue hue, creating a nice view if his heart wasn't pounding every second against his chest. He was awful at sensing temperature or augmenting it, but he could tell Katara was still awake. The sound of her quieted footsteps suddenly approached the door. Zuko jolted himself awake and watched Katara slide out of the room. Her eyes dropped to his, widening from surprise. Her mouth slightly opened to say something, yet she seemed to hold back her words.

"Katara," Zuko stood up, his legs aching from the sudden movement.

She took a step back, before turning and walking out. Zuko followed after her. The cold night air blasted him in the face. He could see his breath condense to visibility, before evaporating into the air. Katara continued to walk away.

"Hold on, Katara!" Zuko yelled after her, engaging in a quick sprint to reach her side. "You need to listen to me."

She continued to walk faster, away from the village. Zuko followed after her, not wanting to forcibly grab her wrist if he could avoid it. She walked up towards the cliff, and Zuko momentarily thought Katara was attempting to jump into the sea to avoid talking to him.

"Katara, please, just listen—"

"Why should I?" she suddenly yelled back, turning around suddenly. Zuko retracted his hand back, feeling somewhat accomplished Katara had actually replied. She glared at him with an expression of confused hate.

"I… just want to talk to you," he honestly responded. She avoided his gaze and didn't respond. The sound of waves crashing against the rocks filled his ears.

"You look terrible." Katara turned her back to him.

"Er, well," Zuko rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't sleep so well the past few days."

"Is that so?" She quietly commented, and turned her head. "And why should I believe that? In fact, why should I believe anything you say anymore?" Her voice rose as she finished her sentence.

"Katara…"

"You know, I always knew there was _something _off about me. But… you—even if everyone else walked away from me, I thought you'd still be there. Always by my side, trustworthy…" her voice began to crack, as her face twisted in doubt. "And you end up being the first to turn your back."

Zuko stood motionless, trying to respond back. He felt like he'd been stabbed with his swords. Did it really seem that way to her? Could she really not see it from his point of view? There were so many things that seemed to rush up at once.

"I never lied to you!" Zuko took a step forward met her frantic eyes. "I really didn't know anything of this either. I only found out a couple days ago."

"I heard what your uncle said, Zuko!" Katara cried. "You're… the Fire Lord's son! How can I believe anything you say? You might as well be plotting to stab me in the back again after!"

_God damn everything. _"You're wrong!" he yelled back in protest. "I would never do that, Katara! You have to believe me, I really didn't know. It wasn't my intention to deceive you in any way!"

"You want me to believe the son… of the man who wants me dead?" she retorted. "Don't you think it's kind of strange for you to appear so conveniently? How right after you show up in my life, Azula was finally able to capture Sokka, after we've been running successfully for _years_? And how as soon as Sokka is taken—by your sister—you get your family claim?"

"I know!" Zuko gritted his teeth. "I know the chances of all this happening at once is suspicious and odd, but you have to believe me! I never meant to lie to you!Do you really think that low of me? That I'm happy to find out that my father is a tyrannical murderer, and my sister is trying to chase me down? I'm sure you heard that my own father tried to kill me!" Zuko thrust his finger at his scar. "He gave me this. All this time I thought it was an accident… but it wasn't. Don't put me on the same level as him, Katara!" Zuko breathed hard, waiting for her to respond. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, hesitant to yell anymore. He breathed, trying to calm his emotions. _Yelling at her won't solve anything. _He took a small step forward, and shook his head. "...I know, I might be asking for the impossible, for you to trust me again, but… I don't want you to walk away thinking that I lied to you."

Katara's eyes grew wide. She stared at him in disbelief, blinking quickly to pull back the tears.

"...What do you expect me to do?" She whimpered. "Do… you think I _want_ to doubt you? What other choice do I have?" Katara lowered her gaze. "I'm just a freak, Zuko. I don't even know what to feel anymore." She took a step back from him, dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. She laughed weakly, taking another step back. Zuko's eyes widened in fear. _Don't do it._ "You know, after finding out that I'm nothing but a monster, it doesn't make me feel too great. I'm just a burden, Zuko. It'd be better for everyone else... if I just—"

"—Katara!"

Zuko jumped forward and reached out with his hand, barely grazing her clothes. A step too late. Katara fell backwards from the cliff, and plummeting into the waves. Zuko caught his breath. Without thinking, he pushed his foot against the edge of the cliff and forcibly threw himself down. The water hit him like a bull. It felt like he was crashing into a block of ice. His skin stung and burned underwater, as he reached around for Katara. A dark figure descended deeper into the sea, as if the water itself were pushing her down. Zuko swam down, thankful he had taken a deep breath before diving in. He could barely see under the waves, but her eyes seemed to glow with the moonlight, as she gazed up at him. She made no motion to swim back up. Katara simply fell through the sea, slowly sinking beyond Zuko's grasp. Her face seemed emotionless, calm, even in the situation. Using all the strength he could muster, Zuko pushed himself down, and swung his arm, hooking his hand behind her back. He pulled her body up, furiously kicking his legs to swim back to the surface. The cold wind collided with his exposed skin as soon as Zuko's head emerged from the waves. He breathed hard, and tried to focus on taking deep breaths. Katara breathed lightly next to him. He turned, his worry sharply replaced by anger.

"What are you _doing?_" he growled, his chest heaving with adrenaline. He grabbed Katara's shoulders, forcing her to face him. "Do you really want to die? Why would you _ever _do something like that? Didn't you want to fight back, and stop running away?" Katara stared wide eyed, as if she couldn't believe what had just happened. Zuko bit back his anger, trying to hold back his words. He had almost lost somebody he didn't ever want to lose. He could still remember the feeling of absolute devastation, as Katara fell backwards from the cliff. He sighed in relief, and lowered his gaze. His voice dropped to a whisper. "Don't ever do this to me again... you really... had me scared. And even if you hate me, don't think about giving up. Everyone's here to support you, and if you were to die, their efforts would be in vain. Everything Sokka worked against, trying to keep you safe—would all go to waste. Don't die, Katara. Believe in them. I'm not going to force you to trust me… but know that I'll be here, and I'll always be."

Zuko didn't even know how he was staying afloat in the water. All his attention was solely focused on Katara. Small drops of water fell onto Zuko's fingers, he watched them fall continuously against his skin before evaporating into the air by the heat. He slowly lifted his face to meet Katara's, her face now contorted with emotion. Tears kept sliding down her cheeks, and fell on Zuko's hands.

"W-What the heck…" she whispered. "You're making me feel like the bad guy here..."

A bit shocked, Zuko slowly unraveled his hands from her shoulders. Before pulling his hands back, he reached for her face, gently wiping the tears with his fingers. Her cheeks felt unusually soft against his calloused hands.

"I'm sorry," he muttered quietly, lingering his fingers over her face. Zuko felt his chest cave in at her tears. She was crying, _again. _"Sorry for yelling. I can't seem to get my emotions under control today..."

"You're terrible," she quietly wailed.

"I know."

"A jerk."

"Yes, I'm sorry."

"And you have no sense of direction."

"...Hey!" Zuko protested.

He lifted his head just in time for Katara to close the distance between them. She buried her face in his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"But I forgive you anyways."

Zuko's world beamed. To hear those words come out from her mouth practically lifted his soul. He immediately reached around her back and held her tightly. Time seemed to stop. His entire existence was solely centered on keeping Katara safe in his arms. He rested his chin on top of her head, and closed his eyes.

"Thank you."

* * *

Zuko was exhausted. He never knew talking about his feelings would be so taxing. His heart seemed a thousand times lighter, but his body didn't want to move anymore. Katara was no different. Being the incapable idiot he was, Zuko had no idea how they were supposed to return to the village. They were too far out to try and swim back to shore, and they had fallen a few dozen meters from the cliff, rendering his climbing skills useless. His arms began to go numb in the cold, realizing no amount of firebending would be of use, especially during the night. It was only when the water under his feet seemed to solidify, and expelled him from the South Sea with sudden force. Zuko yelled in surprise, feeling himself fall back towards the grass, Katara still in his arms. He braced himself for the impact, hardening his back, keeping her as shielded as possible. Zuko landed roughly on his upper back, causing a low gasp to escape his throat. He involuntarily coughed, careful not to mangle Katara. Had she done that? He hadn't even noticed her bending.

"Katara—you okay?" he whispered, feeling his shoulder blades throb in pain. Thankfully, he had loosened her hold on him last minute, so that he hadn't crushed her arms. She remained quiet, only nodding against his chest. She sighed deeply, and Zuko felt the same. Relief. He had done it. She had forgiven him. It had taken some yelling and a lot of apologies, but the world suddenly seemed so much brighter. Zuko gazed at the stars, never really appreciating their beauty. The sound of waves crashing against the rocks was melodious; he could feel himself gradually falling asleep.

"Why did you jump in?" she finally mumbled after a long silence. Zuko had thought she had fallen asleep. He inwardly frowned, not remembering the exact reason why he jumped in. He hadn't thought too much about it.

"To save you—you dummy."

Katara lifted her head over his, surprising Zuko more than he would have liked to admit. She stared down at him with an unreadable expression. Her eyes seemed a whole lot darker.

"Did you really think I was going to drown in my own element?" The corner of her lips raised into a teasing smile.

Zuko could feel blood pool in his cheeks. He had totally forgotten about that. She was a skilled waterbender, there was no way she was going to drown herself in water. He secretly wished she wasn't staring down at him at the moment. Collecting his composure, Zuko brought his hand in between their faces, and lightly poked Katara's forehead with his finger.

"Who said anything about saving you from the water?" Zuko replied. Katara raised an eyebrow. "I was saving you from yourself. They say the heaviest of chains that drag us down, are the ones we create ourselves. The invisible shackles in your head, is what I was rescuing you from."

Katara's teasing smile slowly dropped, as she watched Zuko with a curious expression. For a moment, the two benders stared at each other. Zuko's heart beat against his chest, realizing how close Katara's face was.

"Ah-ha, I bet Iroh told you that one, didn't he?" Katara lightly grinned.

"Guilty."

Zuko chuckled quietly. Katara returned her head to the grass, stretching out her legs with a sigh.

"...Thanks for saving me."

"Thanks for staying alive."

He had really meant it. No more words were exchanged between them, and Zuko didn't feel the need to. While gazing up at the moon, he turned his head to glance at the quiet waterbender next to him. He slowly let his eyelids drop, letting Katara's peaceful face the last thing he saw before he drifted off.

* * *

A/N: Ahh, I love writing Zutara moments. ^^  
If you haven't noticed, this chapter is pretty long, because it is my apology chapter. Due to school, I'll be updating on a bi-weekly basis after this chapter. I know I was on and off with my updates, but this time it'll be quite unlikely you'll see a new chapter in a week :/ Which is why I made this chapter extra long! :D *Sorry, don't kill me*  
I also want to spend more time reviewing and editing my writing to present them to you in tip-top shape. The next chapter (and possible the one after) will be on the big battle coming up, and I'll do my best to make it super epic, so I hope you all look forward to it!

For anyone else in school, I wish you luck this fall. See you soon!


	22. Welcome to War

Chapter 22: Welcome to War

* * *

Zuko didn't blame the sunrise for waking him up this time. He felt Katara jolt awake at the same time he did.

A horn blasted in the distance and he immediately felt awake, recognizing the sound. Helping Katara to her feet, the two ran towards the end of the cliff and scanned the sea. His eyes fell upon the horizon, three black ships rapidly approaching the island.

"No way…" he muttered. "That can't be—"

"—Azula." Katara growled.

"But that means she's here two days early." Zuko could hear the panic in his voice. "The villagers—"

Katara's eyes grew wide as she turned to face him. "We have to warn everyone."

The two bolted back down to the village. Zuko was inwardly amazed they had walked so far out yesterday night. Everything seemed unreal. This was it. Azula was coming and they were finally stepping into the war. He glanced over at Katara, seeing knew found determination in her eyes.

"I'll go to my uncle," Zuko blurted. "You alert the warriors, and Aang and Toph if you can!"

With a nod, the two separated ways, sprinting against the ground. Zuko headed towards his room, wondering if his uncle was awake already. The sun was barely peaking over the horizon, but there was no way his uncle hadn't heard that blare. It was unmistakable. As soon as he burst through the door, he almost crashed into his uncle. Iroh skillfully sidestepped the last minute, sending Zuko toppling into the room. He crashed into the foot of his bed, before turning around and glaring at his uncle.

"Uncle! You could have _tried_ to stop me!" Zuko cursed in pain, and rubbed his head. "Did you hear it?"

Iroh stopped his chuckling and tensed. "Yes. She's here, isn't she?" Zuko pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded once. Iroh shook his head and stared at him with hard eyes. "Let's go then, we have no time to waste."

Pushing off his hands, Zuko followed his uncle out the door. As they walked towards the east wing, Suki came running, followed by a few of her warriors.

"Iroh!" Once again, Zuko had a hard time deciphering if it was truly Suki. Her face was clean of makeup, and she was wearing normal nightwear. Her eyes held nothing but shock. "Is it true? Isn't it too early for her to be here?" He shook his head again. Another horn blasted in the distance.

All eyes turned to the sea, momentarily watching three black ships approach the island. Aang and Toph came running to the group.

"How long do you think we have until she fully docks?" Suki muttered.

Iroh sighed. "10 minutes."

Without another question, Suki turned to her warriors. "I'll give you 1 minute… All warriors gear up, _now_! Wake the rest of the girls and start to escort the remaining families to the west village, one warrior per family. Take nothing but the essentials. The rest of you will support me here. Go!"

The girls scattered. Aang pulled a whistle from his shirt, and blew. "Suki, use Appa, it'll be much faster than trying to walk the distance. Besides, I don't want him involved with the fighting."

Suki nodded gratefully. "Thanks Aang, I'll make sure he stays out of danger. Also, we need coverage while the remaining villagers leave. Can you do it?"

Toph raised an eyebrow. "Of course we can. Who do you think we are?"

Suki nodded once, ignoring Toph's last remark, and turned to Iroh. "Please alert the villagers. Have them ready for my warriors to take."

"Of course." With Iroh's final word, Suki turned and ran after her warriors.

After her leave, Aang gave a small frown to the blind girl. "Toph… we've only done that once, we don't know if it'll work again without practice."

The girl waved a hand dismissively. "Just sync your bending with mine. It'll work, trust me." She began to trot down the village towards the sea. Aang simply sighed and slowly followed after her.

"You say that as if it's easy…"

Zuko watched the two leave. Iroh bumped his arm. "What are you doing Zuko? There's no time. Go find Katara and inform her the details."

He hadn't even noticed her absence until now. Where was she? Nodding at his uncle, he ran up to the west wing, thinking that she had to be with Sokka. After hurriedly walking into his room, he noticed Katara hanging over her brother.

"Katara!" he called. "What are you doing?" She looked up with an expression of devastation.

"What do I do? I can't move him yet, but I can't leave him here!"

"There's no time!" he walked towards them. "Azula's coming. We have 10 minutes at the most! Just trust that Suki and the rest will protect him."

"But…"

"Katara, it's okay," Sokka muttered, slightly opening his left eye to meet her. "Even if they come in here, I won't let them win. You just take care of yourself." He grabbed Katara's hand, and she nodded once. Releasing her brother's hand, she glanced at Zuko.

"All right, let's go."

* * *

Azula was never the type to waste a few hundred men on a tiny island. If things went her way, she would have taken the soldiers and finally captured the heart of Ba Sing Se. A feat even her uncle couldn't complete. She clicked her tongue and felt a smile about to creep across her face. It felt odd, speaking of an uncle she only found out about a few days ago. Not to mention a brother. An older brother it seemed, he could only be two or three years older than her by the look of him. Now she was on orders to take them down. How ironic.

The island was in view, and Azula could feel her inner fire burn wildly. She couldn't fail this time. Although fate has made it so that both her uncle and brother guard the girl, their lives were nothing compared to Ursa's. The horn blared loudly behind her. It was only a matter of minutes before they reached the island. As the ship began to slow down, she spotted two small figures by the shore. Azula released a low growl, recognizing the two. The airbending brat and the tiny earthbender, just with those two, they had single handedly forced her to turn around last time. She wouldn't forget it.

The wind began to pick up in speed, and Azula knew something was coming. Before she knew it, the air around her began to thicken and appear brown. Bits of sand flew around her face. She quickly turned on her heel and walked towards the double doors to her room, confusing a few men who were still outside. She raised an arm and looked to her new lieutenant.

"Keep the ship steady and prepare for high wind levels. And get back inside immediately."

"But princess," the man argued. "We would have to dock first, otherwise we risk the possibility of being tossed or pushed back."

Azula could feel her hand twitch in impatience. She really needed to relieve herself of all the stress. She leaned forward slightly, giving a cold stare to the man, her voice nothing but a low whisper. "Then you better pray the men dock quickly, or you just might find yourself locked out in a storm."

The man shivered, giving a curt bow before leaving. "Release the anchors!" His voice boomed over the wind.

Azula simply turned around and continued to walk into her chambers. There was no way she was attempting to stay outside any longer. A sandstorm was approaching.

* * *

Aang could feel the air responding to him. He glanced over at Toph, who was effortlessly grating the earth into sand. With a wave of his arms, the sand lifted, and spun in the air. He focused on keeping calm, releasing his dominance over his element. The dust began to condense, rolling high above the ground, quickly gaining speed towards the ships. Aang clenched his teeth, feeling his energy drain rapidly; keeping the sand spinning was no easy task.

The alarmed voices of soldiers echoed through the storm, as mass chaos erupted. He could barely see through the dust and sand, but Aang was beginning to think time was up, he couldn't hold the storm forever. Glancing back at the village, he saw the Appa take off from the ground, holding a the remaining elderly on his back. Another warrior, who he assumed to be Suki, waved a hand at him. It was the signal. Gathering his strength, he looked towards Toph.

"It's time to pull back!"

The small earthbender nodded, before pressing her hands onto the ground, a look of concentration plastered on her face. Aang increased the momentum of his wind, and pushed the storm forward at a frightening pace. The sandstorm tore through the ships, blowing out everything in its path. Aang and Toph began running back up the village, spotting Suki, commanding her warriors.

"Suki!" he yelled. The young airbender could feel his lungs wheeze in complaint. Creating a storm like that was definitely harder than said. She turned to him.

"Aang! To you position! They're coming any minute!"

He nodded throwing himself to the side of the village. Toph stood at the center, a smirk on her face.

* * *

_A few days earlier…_

"_Azula is after that girl, right?" Suki proclaimed, pointing to Katara. No one in the room responded fully, only Iroh nodded his head. "Listen, for Kyoshi Island, there is only one entrance: the large opening of our village from the shore. Of course, you could always get to the other villages by boat, but there's nothing but trees to go through for miles. It's pretty much set Azula will come through the main gate, meaning she can only leave through the same way." _

_A few eyes gazed up at her. Zuko sat in silence, watching Katara from the corner of his good eye. _

"_Then what of the villagers?" Aang inquired. "We obviously can't make this place a battlefield with them here." _

"_I know, I know," Suki replied coolly, lifting a hand. "The villagers will be evacuated and sent to the East and West villages respectively. If we can all work together, it'll only take a few days. Each main village has their own band of warriors, so they will be well protected if anything happens." _

"_What about Azula?" Iroh slightly frowned, remembering their biggest obstacle. Suki made a similar face. _

"_We have to detain her here. So as long as her objective remains in this village, I'm sure she will stay as well. However, the number of soldiers she has at her disposal is also a big factor." Suki rubbed her forehead. _

"_How about we take them all at once?" Toph suggested. Every eye turned to the small girl who was sitting with a small smirk. "Only one entrance and one exit right? Why not have all the soldiers file in, and we can take care of them all together?"_

_Suki's eyes lit up. "You're right! If we can get all the soldiers together in the center of the village, it'll be much easier to take them out." She drew an invisible map of the village on the blanket with her finger. "If we can have each of you guys situated in a circle, around the village, then launch a attack to push them to the center—"_

_"—I can take them out with one big attack." Toph finished. _

"Sounds good," Katara remarked. "But how are you planning to defeat all of them in one attack?"

_Toph's smirk only widened. "Just leave that to me."_

* * *

Toph stood at the center of the village, gazing at the storm she had just created with Aang. Everyone else had shifted into their positions, blended in between the houses. The dust slowly began to clear. A stream of blue fire shot out from the center, quickly dissipating the dust. Toph scowled. She reminded herself to take extra precaution around the pompous one. She wasn't an ordinary firebender. Streams of fire continued to shoot out from the ships, blasting through the dust and sand. The three black ships were now visible through the mess. Toph felt the earth rumble against her feet, she braced herself, knowing the soldiers were making their move.

Zuko watched from the side, meeting Katara's eyes from the other side of the village, the two sank into the shadows, watching the fire nation soldiers run up the village hill. They slowly began to regroup, realizing the village was empty. After a minute, the masked soldiers appeared. Zuko felt a tinge of familiarity watching them, as he had once been apart of that group as well, its leader of all positions. Now that Zuko looked at them, they were an intimidating bunch. Dozens upon dozens of soldiers continued to pour out from the ship, leaving him wondering how many they had to face that day. It obviously didn't look good for them. Suddenly the ground shook, almost throwing Zuko off balance if he wasn't expecting it. Taking a quick breath, he darted out from his hiding and bended a long wall of fire towards the enemy, pushing them to the middle. Startled screams echoed through the hill. He could only presume everyone else was doing the same.

The whole island seemed to shake as Toph planted her heel into the ground. Thick walls of dirt began climbing higher and higher, encircling the soldiers that had walked into the village. The ground beneath the soldiers began to sink, and mass panic spread through them. Some bended streams of fire against the earth slabs, but to no avail, Toph's attack started to increase its magnitude. The walls continued to grow until it finally halted for a brief second. Zuko slightly leaned back in anticipation. The earth crumbled forward dropping above the soldiers, causing them to scream in fear, while trying their best to run through the quicksand.

It all happened quickly, after Toph trapped soldiers from under and over, they had no chance of escape. Zuko released a breath, swiping away the dust that had formed from the colossal attack. He gazed at the aftermath, spotting a few hands and legs stick out from the ground, but nothing stirred. The battle horn blared, forcing Zuko out of his gaze, he turned towards the ship. Another rally of soldiers marched down the ramp, stepping over the covered bodies of their allies. There was no way around it now; they had to fight on their own. Toph's plan had only worked to a degree, unable to count the vast number of men Azula brought. The Kyoshi warriors ran down the village, engaging the soldiers. Aang and Toph followed after. Zuko too, turned to face the men.

He roughly collided with a few of the soldiers, sending a knee flying to an unfortunate man's face. Concentrating the fire in his fists, he swung forward, letting all his previous worry and anger spill out. From wearing the armor before, Zuko was able to easily mark the weakest link, effectively knocking the soldiers back with just one hit. It had looked like they were overpowering them, until another horn blared. Zuko cursed as he saw more soldiers run out from the ship. Before turning away, he saw a larger man walk out, his different attire seemed strangely familiar to Zuko. The man smiled wickedly, sending shivers up his spine. Once he placed a foot on the island, he tore through the line, easily bringing down the female warriors with ease. His own soldiers stepped out of his way immediately. Watching his dominating strength, Zuko darted towards him, throwing a surprise punch to his left cheek. To his astonishment, the man raised a hand and caught his fist. They locked eyes, gold meeting brown, until the man's eyes widened, he released Zuko's hand and jumped a good distance away.

"You… " He pointed with a finger, as the battle raged around them. Zuko tensed, he knew that this man was no foot soldier from the way he effortlessly caught his strike; it was going to be a rough battle. The man lowered his arm and smiled wickedly. "I can see the resemblance already. I am Commander Youshi, It's a pleasure to meet you, Zuko."

* * *

_A few hours before…_

"_Uh… princess…" he questioned, holding up a small tube. "This is for…?" _

_Azula gave him a small glance before distributing out the boxes to the captains. _

"_It's a signal flare, Commander." _

_He wanted to raise an eyebrow sarcastically. Well duh. "Yes, but what we will use it for? We're not attacking on any formation. It'll be a dead weight for most normal soldiers."_

"_You're right," she replied. "We won't need a formation, however, there are three enemies you need to specifically watch out for. Our target, the water tribe girl, and two others, both of whom are firebenders."_

_A collective murmur spread through the soldiers, as they received the new tool. _

"_All benders who can use this, you will shoot this off only when either of these three are on an attempt to escape. At the flare, all soldiers within the area will go and block their path." Azula watched her men quietly observe the small tube. "Also, use this for target detection. Once the girl is detained, use two flares to signal."_

_The captains bowed quickly, walking off to relay the information down to the rest of the troops. Azula silently watched her commander from the corner of her eye, noting his smirk. _

"_Princess," he began. "Did I hear you say two firebenders?" _

_She gave him a nod. _

"_How odd. Two firebenders are helping our target?" He leaned back against the railing of the ship, lightly closing his eyes. His next line came in a whisper, "Any special orders?" _

_Azula almost raised an eyebrow. He was sharp. It was strange her father had appointed someone to co-lead with her, now she began to understand why. She had heard of the numerous victories he had brought in, although she hadn't tested his strength herself. He was confident with his words, close to being brash, yet she could tell he had the skills to back that up. Whether or not she wanted to admit it, it was actually refreshing to be near someone who didn't tremble in her presence. She turned her back to him, replying in the same volume._

"_Don't kill them." She ordered. "One is an old man seemingly in his sixties, do not underestimate him. And the other is a younger man, with a prominent scar over his left eye." The commander simply listened, waiting for her to continue. "Do you wish to fight?" _

_He opened his eyes, and turned his gaze to her, although her back was facing him. "Of course. Who doesn't like a good fight?" _

"_The latter is a good choice, then," she concluded. _

"_Is he strong?" he eagerly inquired. _

_Azula thought for a moment, trying to decide what to say. "Above average in skill, yet he does not have the heart of a soldier." _

"_Any name?" _

_Again she hesitated. But then again, word was going to spread whether she made a move or not. "Zuko." _

_She could hear the man slightly choke on his words. "Apologies, princess, can you say that name again?" _

_Azula slightly turned to him, keeping her famous expressionless face set. "You heard me." _

_At this, the commander laughed. He bent forward, clutching his stomach, practically shaking the entire deck with his laugh. He breathed hard, wiping a non-existent tear from his eye. "Princess, I may not be much older than you, but even I know of his forbidden name." He cleared his throat, and looked back at his leader. She looked no different. He quieted himself from a small cough and glanced back at her. "Well, I cannot help myself but ask… didn't he leave this world long ago?" _

_Azula only turned her head and began walking away. Of course he didn't believe her. It would be maddening to believe a long dead man was alive and well. Before closing her doors, she slid in one last remark. "You can decide for yourself then." _

* * *

Zuko made a face. How did he know his name? Although in the midst of battle, it seemed insignificant, curiosity still tugged at his heart. The commander still stood a good distance from him, still watching with wide eyes.

"I'm amazed," he breathed. "So she wasn't kidding after all."

Zuko wanted to shake his shoulders and ask him what he was talking about. But this was war; he needed to be focused. Without another word, Zuko darted closer, kicking a wave of fire. Landing nimbly, he turned to watch the commander easily neutralize the flame. Concentrating on his breathing, Zuko charged fire in his fist. Youshi ran forward with the same technique, causing the two men to collide in a large explosion of heat and smoke.

After the blast had settled down, Zuko's mind began to go on autopilot mode. He couldn't remember how long he was fighting the commander for, but it didn't seem to matter. He slashed, dodged, bend huge waves of fire, created fire whips from his fingertips, and blasted consecutive attacks without warning. Yet every attack he managed to preform, were pared by the man in front of him. He jumped back, breathing heavily. The fight beginning to feel much harder than he originally thought it would be.

Youshi straightened his back, carefully observing Zuko. His skill was indeed noteworthy, but his attacks held no intent to kill. The princess had been right; he did not have the heart of a soldier. If he was correct, Youshi guessed the young man lacked drive for war. How amusing.

"Zuko," he addressed. The name escaped his mouth harshly. If he had to be honest, he had no idea how to properly address the prince. He was supposed to be dead, after all. He shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside. "Your skills are remarkable, but you lack a major component when dealing your fire. Where is your hate? Your anger? Where is your instinct to kill? Without it, you cannot hope to defeat me, yet take this battle."

Zuko continued to stare at the commander, as his breathing slowly started to even out again. "What are you talking about?" he muttered back. "I have plenty of hate." Zuko growled silently, thinking about his father. Of course he hated him, of course he was angry. There was nothing more he wanted in this world than to see the man on his knees, defeated.

Youshi smirked widely, knowing he didn't grasp the meaning yet. As if on cue, a female warrior jumped in front of him, her sword swinging down towards his neck for the kill. Zuko watched as the large man dodged effortlessly, bringing a fist straight into the warrior's gut. She gasped in pain, as her sword flew out of grip with a loud clang. Horror settled in Zuko's stomach when he realized the man was not done. He grabbed the back of her head, and Zuko could see absolute fear in her eyes as he slammed her against the ground face first. Blood seeped through the earth as the commander set fire to his hand, sending the flames down her broken body. Zuko trembled, he could only hope that the warrior wasn't Suki. His heart shook madly against his chest as the man brought his gaze back.

"This…" he said. "Is how you fight in war."

Zuko screamed as he charged the man once again. That wasn't a fight. It was slaughter. He could feel his energy rise as he charged his attack. Once close, he exploded the flames from his palms, sending an enormous attack. The fire condensed to his will, forming a large missile and shot down at the man. It burst upon impact, blowing up the nearby houses. Soldiers and warriors alike screamed in surprise, as waves of intense heat ricocheted from the attack. Zuko felt himself get pushed back. He leaned over, keeping himself steady and tried to regain his breath. It was the first time he had produced that level of bending. The dust began to settle, and everyone in the area looked towards the point of impact.

Commander Youshi slowly stood from a destroyed house, his armor half-melted and gone. He raised a burned arm, wiping blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. He slowly grinned.

"Now _that_… was true firebending." He chuckled. "I guess blood doesn't lie."

Zuko glared at the man. How was he still able to stand? He could feel his energy drain with every second. Before deciding if he needed to attack again, two high pitched pops echoed to his left. He turned to see two red flares fly towards the sky. He frowned. What did that mean?

The commander suddenly began laughing. "Looks like it's too late for you. This battle is ours." He slowly adjusted himself, and looked towards the middle ship. From the distance, Zuko could see another figure walk out. His heart constricted, recognizing the person.

Azula.

The red flares must have signaled to her. It felt like he was suffocating. The soldiers around him shivered and didn't look any different. Her presence seemed to weigh heavily on everyone as if her killing instincts came to life. She walked down the ship calmly, apathetically stepping over bodies and keeping her face towards her destination. Her raven hair whipped around her body, looking like a weapon itself. For a split second, her gaze fell on Zuko's, forcing him to meet eyes with her. A low growl formed in the back of his throat. She turned, watching soldiers approach her. Zuko's eyes grew wide.

At least a dozen firebending soldiers walked forward, a few holding Iroh, and the rest, dragging Katara's body down the dirt hill.

"Katara!" Zuko tried to dash forward, when a heavy weight pulled him back. His arms were forcibly pulled behind his back, and a large hand pushed his head down. He had let his guard down. Zuko hadn't even noticed the man approach him. He couldn't see the face of the man who held him, but he could tell it wasn't an ordinary soldier. He growled, struggling against the man's hold, but his grip was like iron.

Azula approached Katara and held her hand to her neck. Her fingers pulsated with ominous blue energy, suggesting that if she wanted, to, she could injure Katara anytime. She glanced around, silencing anything and anyone with a glare. The entire island seemed to watch her.

"All right," she finally spoke. "Nobody move."

* * *

A/N:Whoops sorry to cut it off so soon... but it's actually been a while since I've left you guys with a bad cliff hanger... no? *shifty eyes*  
Not much to say about this chapter except for the fight scenes... which I know aren't that great. They're always difficult to write, and I just don't know how to approach them. -_- But I hope you enjoyed reading! Any advice for writing fighting scenes (especially between benders), I will gladly accept with open arms. See you in two weeks!


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